Yogi Adityanath changes tune after Delhi visit

Lucknow: Under fire from his colleagues and party leaders for being inaccessible to them and not giving due respect to the party workers, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday signalled that he was ready to 'change' his attitude.

Adityanath's affability on the first day of the UP Assembly session was too visible to ignore.

Otherwise serious and stern, the CM was seen walking up to the party legislators and greeting them and inquiring about their well being. Many BJP MLAs were seen touching his feet. Adityanath also lent his ear to the party MLAs, who wanted to tell him something.

He also greeted newly appointed leader of the opposition and Samajwadi Party (SP) MLA Mata Prasad Pandey and other opposition leaders in the House.

Earlier at the meeting of the NDA legislature party, Adityanath was flanked by the two deputy chief ministers-Keshav Prasad Maurya and Brijesh Pathak, when he addressed the MLAs.

"Everything is well," Maurya, who had, barely a few days back, launched a veiled attack on Adityanath at the meeting of the state BJP executive committee and virtually accused him of ignoring the ordinary workers, remarked when queried by the reporters.

Interestingly the change of tune in Adityanath's attitude came after his visit to the national capital where he held a meeting with the BJP national general secretary (organisation) B L Santosh. Maurya and Pathak had also visited Delhi and met Santosh and other senior party leaders.

According to the state BJP sources here, the high command had directed Adityanath, Maurya and Pathak to bury their differences and work unitedly to ensure a better performance by the saffron party in the upcoming bypolls in ten Assembly seats in the state. Sources said that the leaders had been asked not to air their differences in public.

Sources also said that the central leadership of the BJP had asked Adityanath to 'change' his attitude and become more accessible to the party workers and leaders.