Yogi Adityanath to meet PM Modi in Delhi amid reports of rift

Amid rumours of a rift between Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the two leaders are likely to meet in Delhi on Friday. Adityanath, who reached the national capital on Thursday on a two-day visit, met Union Home Minister Amit Shah in the evening.

"Met respected Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi as a courtesy and received his guidance. Heartfelt thanks to the respected home minister for his time," the chief minister tweeted in Hindi along with a photo that shows him presenting to Shah a copy of the report 'Solution of Migrant Crisis'.

On Friday, he will call on BJP president J.P. Nadda and other senior party leaders.

The meetings also come in the backdrop of alleged dissent brewing in the Uttar Pradesh BJP, with a section of the party leaders criticising Adityanath government’s handling of the COVID-19 situation in the state. 

Adityanath’s visit to Delhi also assumes significance as the politically crucial state is going to polls early next year. The saffron party had got a shot in the arm on Wednesday after senior Congress leader Jitin Prasada switched side and joined it.

Last week, media reports claimed that a high-level meeting of the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) was held in Delhi to discuss the crisis created by the “ongoing stand-off” between Adityanath and Modi. According to the reports, the chief minister had refused to comply with the prime minister’s wishes to appoint former IAS officer Arvind Kumar Sharma as his deputy.

Uttar Pradesh already has two deputy chief ministers—Dinesh Sharma and Keshav Prasad Maurya.

BJP national vice-president Radha Mohan Singh had met Governor Anandiben Patel and Assembly Speaker Hriday Narayan Dikshit in Lucknow earlier this week, fuelling speculations of a cabinet reshuffle. He, however, described the meeting as “personal” and dismissed the possibility of any cabinet rejig. 

The rumours of a rift between the two leaders gained currency after Modi opted not to tweet wishing Adityanath on his birthday. Reports, however, said Modi had wished the chief minister over phone.

Meanwhile, Radha Mohan Singh dismissed any such rift, describing the CM as the most “competent implement” to fulfil PM’s dream. "If you look at newspapers, you will see that Modi ji was the first to greet Yogij ji (on birthday). In fact, we are of the view that Yogi ji is the most competent implement to fulfil the dreams of Modi ji," he had said.