Keshav Maurya’s recent meeting with JP Nadda follows speculation of strained relations between the UP deputy CM and CM Yogi Adityanath.
Keshav Prasad Maurya, deputy chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, held a meeting with Bharatiya Janata Party president JP Nadda on Tuesday to discuss the party’s strategy after the Lok Sabha elections, amidst his ongoing differences with chief minister Yogi Adityanath.
Keshav Prasad Maurya did not provide any statements to the press after exiting the BJP headquarters in New Delhi post the meeting. According to BJP sources, PTI news agency reported that JP Nadda was anticipated to also hold a meeting with Uttar Pradesh BJP chief Bhupendra Singh Chaudhary.
Even though the agenda of the meetings was not officially announced, Keshav Maurya met with JP Nadda after making comments about the importance of organization over government at the state party’s extended executive meeting on Sunday.
Nadda was also present at the meeting where Yogi Adityanath attributed the electoral losses in Uttar Pradesh to “over-confidence” and hinted that the BJP struggled to counter the campaign by the opposition INDIA bloc.
There has been longstanding chatter about the not-so-friendly relationship between Keshav Maurya and Yogi Adityanath. As per PTI, several BJP leaders from the state, even those who were defeated in the Lok Sabha polls, have privately criticized the chief minister’s approach to work, attributing it to their electoral defeat.
In the just completed general elections, the INDIA faction of the Samajwadi Party and the Congress secured 43 out of Uttar Pradesh’s 80 Lok Sabha seats, while the BJP-led NDA obtained 36. In 2019, the NDA secured victory in 64 constituencies. With elections scheduled for 10 assembly seats in the state, political observers will be eagerly anticipating the results.
What was stated by Keshav Maurya?
Speaking at a one-day state working committee meeting of the BJP, Maurya emphasized that “the party organization holds more importance than the government and no individual is superior to the organization.”
Each BJP member is a source of pride for us. The Print reported that Maurya stated he is primarily a BJP worker and then a deputy chief minister, and he always welcomes everyone, taking a swipe at Yogi Adityanath and the state bureaucracy for allegedly overlooking concerns raised by BJP workers.
What were the words spoken by Yogi Aditynath?
At the meeting, Adityanath stated that the BJP’s hopes in this year’s elections were damaged by “overconfidence.” He also mentioned that although the BJP was able to keep its voting percentage from previous elections, there has been a movement of votes, and now the opposition that was “defeated” is once again becoming active.
He stated that despite retaining the same percentage of votes in 2024 that BJP had in previous elections, our hopes were hurt due to the shifting of votes and overconfidence, aimed at critics of his government and those working against the party.
Afterwards, Nadda praised Adityanath’s efforts while addressing the event. At one point, individuals were relocating from Uttar Pradesh to other states because of security problems. Today, the reign of the mafia is finished. Over the past decade, Uttar Pradesh has made significant advancements. The economy of the state ranks second in the country,” said the president of the BJP.
