Yogi Adityanath In Delhi, Big Meet On Polls, Cabinet At Amit Shah’s Home

Union Minister Amit Shah held a meeting at his home on Thursday evening to discuss the next year’s assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh.

Besides state Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, the meeting was attended by BJP chief JP Nadda, state BJP chief Swatantra Dev Singh and organisation general secretary Sunil Bansal.

Sources said besides candidates for the Legislative Council, the leaders discussed the expansion of Yogi Adityanath’s cabinet and the party organisation in Uttar Pradesh. Emphasis was also laid on taking allies along at the meeting, which went on for around three-and-a-half hour.

All of these are hot-button topics for the party in view of the murmurs against the Chief Minister both within the party as the state elections draw near.

Earlier this year, sources said the party was concerned over feedback it received from various quarters indicating the Chief Minister’s inability to take everyone along.

For long, allies have been critical of the Chief Minister’s lack of accessibility to MPs and MLAs. The government’s handling of the Covid pandemic — which many feared has deeply upset the electorate – brought the differences out in the open.

The party finally reached out to allies in Uttar Pradesh — Apna Dal and Nishad Samaj – and gave a central ministry berth to Apna Dal.

A group of 74 former bureaucrats and police officers also wrote an open letter alleging a “complete breakdown of governance” and “blatant violation of rule of law” in the state.

Not much headway has been made in the reshuffle of the state cabinet – seen as another avenue to broker peace within the state party and with allies.

With the Chief Minister indicating that he has his own preferences, the way ahead appeared to be only through negotiations.