BJP backs Yogi Adityanath, quells rumours of CM change in Uttar Pradesh

NEW DELHI: The BJP’s central leadership on Wednesday backed Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, quelling rumours about an impending leadership change in the state, ahead of the next year’s Assembly elections.

However, the party’s central leadership will seek to iron out the rough edges in the relationship between the UP government and the state unit of the saffron party. Sources say a rejig of the party organisation and the induction of a few new faces in the state council of ministers can be expected.

There were rumours that the BJP’s national leadership is planning a major rejig in Uttar Pradesh that may see Chief Minister Adityanath removed.

The BJP national general secretary (organisation) B L Santhosh and party vice president Radha Mohan Singh, also the party in charge of Uttar Pradesh, has been meeting senior party leaders and ministers in the state. They will soon submit a report to the party’s national president J P Nadda.

Based on the report, Amit Shah and Nadda are likely to chart out the next course of action in the state.
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Sources say during these meetings, party leaders expressed their disappointment with the government over the handling of the Covid pandemic and well as a growing disconnect between party leaders and the government.

Sources say the central leadership of the party will also consider changing the president of the party’s state unit Swatantra Dev Singh, despite strong resistance from a section within the state unit that says it’s too late to make a leadership change, with polls just eight months away.

Sources say while the Central leadership wants A K Sharma, a former senior official in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) drafted in the state Cabinet with a key portfolio, the chief minister continues to oppose the idea and wants Sharma to continue his works in the eastern part of the state.