Has the government in Uttar Pradesh now become equal to the organization? After hearing Deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya praising Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in an election rally in Mirzapur, it seems so.
Now who would not be surprised if Keshav Prasad Maurya calls Yogi Adityanath the best Chief Minister of the country. Till yesterday, this same Keshav Prasad Maurya was trying to deny Yogi Adityanath on every issue – through his statements, gestures and political activities, he was trying to give the message that a big change is going to happen in the UP government, but now it seems that the wheel of possibilities of change has suddenly stopped.
It is worth noting that by-elections are going to be held on 10 assembly seats in UP, and whatever Keshav Prasad Maurya has said in praise of Yogi Adityanath is part of the speech given in Majhava assembly constituency. By-election is also to be held on Majhava assembly seat.
It is worth noting that Yogi Adityanath has made a super-30 team of ministers for the by-elections, in which neither Keshav Prasad Maurya nor the second deputy CM Brajesh Pathak has been included. In between, it was also seen how both the deputy CMs used to keep distance from the meetings in which Yogi Adityanath was present or were called by him. In one meeting, it was also seen that as soon as Yogi Adityanath arrived, both the deputy CMs got up and left.
Whatever happens later. It may be a coincidence or an experiment. But it is definitely a matter of relief for UP BJP. Especially before the by-elections. It is possible that later we can know the level of the government and the organization. Right now it seems that the government and the organization have become equal. From Keshav Maurya’s words, for a moment the government seems bigger than the organization.
How did everything suddenly become good?
It seems that Keshav Prasad Maurya had taken leave from his personal conflicts and had come to hold an election rally. Now whether he had taken the leave on his own or was forcibly sent on leave from above, only he would know better – otherwise, why were we suddenly hearing such things about Yogi Adityanath?
While seeking votes for BJP in the by-elections, UP Deputy CM Keshav Maurya claimed that our double engine government is doing the best work in independent India. The mention of double engine government means giving equal credit to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath along with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Keshav Maurya was explaining these things in his own way, ‘There is a BJP government in the country as well as in the state… You also know and believe that our double engine government is doing the best work in the history of independent India… Is there any other leader like Prime Minister Modi in the world? And is there any other Chief Minister like Yogi Adityanath in the country? The most powerful and influential leader in the world is our Prime Minister Modi… And in the country, when all the Chief Ministers are compared, the best work is being done under the leadership of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.’
Almost similar praise of Yogi Adityanath was also heard from the mouth of Prime Minister Narendra Modi before the 2022 UP assembly elections. Then, regarding the functioning of the UP government during the Covid crisis, Prime Minister Modi had said, ‘The last few months have been very difficult for the entire human race… The changing and dangerous form of Corona attacked with full force, but Uttar Pradesh, including Kashi, fought such a big crisis with full strength.’
He said, ‘The way Uttar Pradesh, which has a population greater than that of the world’s biggest countries, handled the second wave of corona is unprecedented…’
You might remember that even then, similar things were being said about Yogi Adityanath as are being heard these days. By then, we mean the time when former Gujarat cadre bureaucrat Arvind Sharma was sent from Delhi to Lucknow. After VRS, he was quickly sent to the Legislative Council and there were talks of making him the Deputy CM.
In those days, Yogi Adityanath had become the target of his opponents in the BJP for not being able to handle the Covid crisis properly. Arvind Sharma was then given the command of Varanasi, and he used to send reports mainly to the PMO, dealing with the CMO was just a formality. Many ministers and leaders had also written complaint letters then, although the officers were accused of not doing their work in the letters, but the reality was that Yogi Adityanath was the target.
Despite all the activities going on against him, Yogi Adityanath remained firm in the field. Before the elections, the cabinet was expanded but Arvind Sharma was not included. When the elections came, the BJP fielded him from the Gorakhpur Nagar assembly seat. When they returned to power after the victory, Arvind Sharma was also made a minister. He is still a minister.
Once again, all this is happening at a time when assembly elections are going to be held in UP, but only on 10 assembly seats. It is also important for the BJP to win the elections because the performance of the BJP in the Lok Sabha elections 2024 was very poor compared to the last two general elections. Out of 80 seats in UP, BJP was able to win only 33 seats this time.
Is this only till the by-elections?
In fact, there has been an attempt in the BJP to hold Yogi Adityanath responsible for the poor performance of the BJP in Uttar Pradesh. There was a ruckus over Keshav Prasad Maurya’s statement that the organization is always bigger than the government – and the ruckus was also happening because Yogi Adityanath, and not Keshav Prasad Maurya, was seen alone.
It was also quite clear that Keshav Prasad Maurya was not only angry but the central leadership was also giving it full support. Keshav Maurya’s attitude had become aggressive in the Lucknow meeting itself, when BJP President JP Nadda was also present. After meeting JP Nadda in Delhi, he became aggressive.
Yogi Adityanath appeared unconcerned about all the conspiracies and rhetoric going on against him, and what he said in counter was also a big attack, which also targeted JP Nadda. Yogi Adityanath explained that the reason behind the condition of BJP in the elections is overconfidence.
This may not be said directly, but it is easily understood if we look at it in the context of JP Nadda’s statement on RSS. Before the Lok Sabha elections, a statement by JP Nadda was quite popular that BJP no longer needs RSS, meaning that under Modi’s leadership, BJP has reached the status of being independent.
The effect of this statement of the BJP president was visible during the elections itself, because the efforts made by the RSS were completely limited. Only the most essential programs were being run – when the results came, everyone’s status became known.
Yogi Adityanath practices politics on the lines of hardline Hindutva. He has neither been a BJP leader nor does he have any RSS background, yet the RSS likes him a lot, and the overconfidence statement was also deliberately made by Yogi Adityanath, which was the RSS’s Mann Ki Baat and the target was the BJP leadership.
It is not known yet whether Keshav Maurya has started treating the organization and the government as equals or not, but it is clear that he has understood his limits. It is also not known whether he has put his campaign on hold or has surrendered – whatever may happen later, but right now Yogi Adityanath has conquered the fort.
Source (PTI) (NDTV) (HINDUSTANTIMES)