No major changes in UP BJP and govt

As BJP has started preparing for next year's Assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh, Party National General Secretary B.L. Santhosh said that no major changes will take place in the government and the party.

New Delhi:All speculations to a change of guard in Uttar Pradesh were put to rest after a visit by the BJP National General Secretary (Organisation) to the state. After the end of the visit, B.L. Santhosh sent out a tweet appreciating Covid management of the Yogi Government.

A senior BJP leader said that lots of speculation had started doing the rounds about a possible change of guard in both the government and the organization in Uttar Pradesh. He said no major changes will take place in the government and the party, as the party has started preparing for next year's Assembly polls.

Earlier this week, Santhosh and BJP Uttar Pradesh In-charge Radha Mohan Singh visited the state capital and held several rounds of review meetings and took feedback from the Yogi Adityanath government.

Read:'I withdrew nomination against BJP chief as he promised me Rs 15 lakh': Kerala BSP candidate

Since Santhosh reached Lucknow, the political circle in the state was abuzz with the possibility that Yogi may be replaced for his style of functioning that had led to a gap between the government and the party.

But Santhosh's tweet has put an end to all political speculations in Uttar Pradesh ahead of next year's Assembly polls. "In five weeks, Yogi Adityanath's Uttar Pradesh reduced the new daily case count by 93 per cent. Remember it's a state with more than 20 crore population. When municipality CMs could not manage a city of 1.5 crore population, Yogiji managed quite effectively," Santhosh tweeted.

A BJP leader in the national capital told IANS that whether one believes or not Yogi is the third most popular leader in the party after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah and replacing him will cost dear to the party.

"BJP, which is known to put all its efforts to win even a municipal election, will not take a risk by replacing Yogi with someone else less popular than him. Some of his opponents are trying their best but they will not succeed," he said.

Read:PM Modi holds talks with BJP Morcha leaders

Another senior party leader suggested there might be a reshuffle in Uttar Pradesh cabinet and the state organization. "There could be a cabinet reshuffle or some organizational restructuring which is generally done with the changing situations," he said.

Last months, the Yogi government faced severe criticism for Covid management after images of bodies floating in the river or buried in shallow graves came up from different parts of the state.

Resentment within the party also came out in open after Union Minister Santosh Gangwar raised questions over Covid Management and party Lok Sabha member Kaushal Kishore demanding the cancellation of panchayat polls to contain the spread of infection.

IANS