Yogi Adityanath Remains The Undisputed Leader Of The BJP In UP
By A Special Correspondent
First publised on 2021-06-02 11:49:46
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All rumours about the fate of Yogi Adityanath were settled on Tuesday night when B L Santosh, the national secretary (organization) of the BJP tweeted in praise of the UP chief minister's "effective management" of the Covid-19 situation in the state in the second wave. To confirm this further, Radha Mohan Singh, the BJPs UP in-charge, termed the talk of removing Yogi as a "figment of someone's imagination".
But there is no smoke without fire. The way both Santosh and Singh were having closed door meetings with UP ministers in the state capital Lucknow for the last two days was enough to initiate the buzz that something big was about to happen. At the end of it all, it seems that the party has reaffirmed its trust in Yogi and the exercise has shown that he remains the undisputed leader of the party in the state. The two leaders indicated that there will be a cabinet reshuffle and organizational changes soon.
That Yogi has the trust of both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah is universally known. But given the unimpressive performance of the party in the recent panchayat polls and the alleged mishandling of the Covid situation, the grapevine was abuzz with rumours about a change of guard. Obviously, the party minders have got positive response from ministers about Adityanath and the party would not like to unsettle the apple cart before the state elections which are due in 2022.
Winning UP in 2022 is vital for the party's national campaign in 2024. UP sends the largest number of MPs to the Lok Sabha and the BJPs complete dominance in the state has helped it secure a huge majority in the house. It would like things to remain that way. Given Adityanath's standing as a charismatic leader and a seasoned and much sought-after campaigner, the party would like him to remain in saddle and win UP for it once again.
