Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will call on Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on June 11, amid reports of growing dissent within the state’s governing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
The meeting assumes significance as it would be the first one-on-one meeting between the two since the pandemic began in early 2020. It also comes just eight months before UP heads for Legislative Assembly elections in early 2022.
He is also likely to meet BJP National President JP Nadda during the second day of his visit to the national capital.
Adityanath, who has led India’s most populous state since 2017, met former BJP national president and Union Home Minister Amit Shah at the latter's residence in New Delhi. Apna Dal (S) leader Anupriya Patel, a BJP ally from Uttar Pradesh who was a union minister in the first Modi-led government, also met Shah, in an indication that the saffron party is reaching out to its partners as it works to bolster its position in the state.
“Met respected Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi as a courtesy and received his guidance. Heartfelt thanks to the respected home minister for his time,” the chief minister tweeted in Hindi along with a photo that shows him presenting to Shah a copy of the report 'Solution of Migrant Crisis'.
Earlier this month, BJP General Secretary BL Santhosh had visited Uttar Pradesh to review the party's preparations for assembly elections. Multiple news reports suggested that he had received negative feedback about the Adityanath administration’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Concerned by this growing dissent in the state unit, the BJP’s top leadership is reportedly looking to make significant changes, including a possible Cabinet reshuffle, as of course correction ahead of the polls.
The BJP won the last UP assembly polls held in February-March 2017 by an overwhelming majority of 325 of the 403 seats despite not projecting a chief ministerial candidate before the election. Adityanath was later declared the chief minister.
UP assembly polls assume significance for the party as the performance there would be crucial for the 2024 general elections. The northern state has 80 Lok Sabha seats.
(With inputs from PTI)