Uttar Pradesh: BJP rejig after Assembly bypolls likely, party high command takes stock of internal strife

The saffron party's central leadership has instructed the warring factions, one led by CM Yogi Adityanath and the other by his deputy Keshav Maurya, to focus on the bypolls keeping aside their differences.

Lucknow/New Delhi: Amid the ongoing turmoil within the Uttar Pradesh unit of the BJP triggered by deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya’s veiled criticism of CM Yogi Adityanath’s style of functioning, the central leadership of the party has hinted at major organisational changes in the state party after the upcoming assembly bypolls on ten seats. The leadership, however, asked the state leaders to focus on the bypolls first.

According to the UP BJP sources here, the central leadership has instructed the warring factions, one led by Adityanath and the other by Maurya, to focus on the bypolls shunning their differences.

Sources said that state BJP president Bhupendra Choudhary had meetings with party president JP Nadda on Tuesday night and then a meeting with prime minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday, during which he offered to resign taking moral responsibility for the saffron party’s drubbing in the state in the recently concluded Lok Sabha polls. Maurya, too, met Nadda on Tuesday night.

The Delhi leadership is said to have asked the UP leaders to not make public statements which could prove to be detrimental to the party. This was directed at Maurya who had tweeted, “Sangathan sarkar se bada hai … (The party is bigger than the government)”, a statement which had exposed the wedge between the leaders in UP.

Sources in the state BJP said that a major organisational reshuffle would take place after the upcoming assembly bypolls. “Right now the focus is the bypolls...we need to put up a united face....we must at least make sure that we retain our seats,” said a senior party leader here while speaking to DH.

While there is intense speculation about a change in the party’s leadership in the state, sources in the BJP said that it is unlikely that chief minister Yogi Adityanath will be changed. There is a likelihood that the state government sees changes.

The organisation vs government fight appears to have divided the saffron party with those favouring Adityanath and the Maurya camp trading barbs.

Former minister and BJP leader Sunil Bharala said that Choudhary should resign taking responsibility for the poor performance of the party in UP in the Lok Sabha polls.

Sources said that Maurya, who never had cordial relations with Adityanath, was gunning for the saffron clad CM after the dismal performance of the party in the Lok Sabha polls.

Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday took potshots at BJP saying that it was a fight for the 'chair' and the people were suffering.