Amit Shah met Yogi Adityanath to discuss next year’s UP assembly elections (File)
New Delhi:
Union Minister Amit Shah held a meeting at his home on Thursday evening to discuss next year’s parliamentary elections in Uttar Pradesh. In addition to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, the meeting was attended by BJP chief JP Nadda, BJP state chief Swatantra Dev Singh and the organization’s general secretary Sunil Bansal.
Sources said that alongside candidates for the Legislative Council, the leaders discussed expanding Yogi Adityanath’s cabinet and party organization in Uttar Pradesh. Emphasis was also placed on bringing allies into the meeting, which lasted about three and a half hours.
These are all hot-button topics for the party as the mutterings against the Chief Minister both within the party and the state elections approach.
Earlier this year, sources said the party was concerned about the feedback it was receiving from various quarters showing that the Chief Minister was unable to take everyone on board.
Allies have long criticized the Chief Minister’s lack of accessibility for MPs and MLAs. The government’s handling of the Covid pandemic — which many feared has deeply upset voters — highlighted the differences.
The party eventually reached out to allies in Uttar Pradesh – Apna Dal and Nishad Samaj – and gave Apna Dal a central control seat.
A group of 74 former bureaucrats and police officers also wrote an open letter claiming the administration was “completely collapsed” and “the blatant violation of the rule of law” in the state.
Not much progress has been made with the reshuffle of the state cabinet – seen as another way to bring about peace within the state party and with allies.
With the Chief Minister indicating that he has his own preferences, the way forward seemed to be negotiated only.
