In a somewhat surprise political development, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath, on Tuesday (June 22) called on the deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya at the latter’s residence in Lucknow. He stayed there for over 60 minutes. Several senior BJP and RSS functionaries were also present on this occasion.
Though party leaders are calling it just as a courtesy call as Yogi could not attend the marriage of Maurya’s son, UP-watchers are attaching significant political meaning to it. Yogi just chose this occasion of blessing the newly married couple for political purpose.
The flexibility shown by Yogi, according to them, is the outcome of directive he got from the central leadership of the BJP as they have got a feedback that the chief minister is increasingly becoming unpopular among his own cabinet colleagues and legislators. He was in Delhi early this month where he met Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union home minister Amit Shah and other party leaders.
The relationship between Maurya and Yogi is not as cordial. Recently, Maurya was quoted in the media as saying that the decision on the next UP CM would be taken by the central leadership of the BJP. If this message continues to persists ahead of the next year’s poll the party may have to pay a price.
Maurya, who has RSS background and is an important backward caste face of the BJP, was even in the race for the post of chief minister after the party’s stunning victory in the 2017 Assembly poll.
What is interesting is that though Yogi’s official residence is just one bungalow away from Maurya’s, the get together at the latter’s house was first of its kind.
Many analysts are of the view that as the BJP is neck deep in trouble after the state government’s utter failure in tackling the second wave of corona virus, Yogi may be asked to become more accommodative.
