New Delhi: A meeting of top BJP leaders with Prime Minister Narendra Modi regarding government formation in Uttar Pradesh, Goa, and Uttrakhand was held at the Prime Minister's residence on Sunday. BJP sources said that the meeting was attended by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, party chief JP Nadda and General Secretary (Organisation) B L Santosh. The meeting continued for four hours.
The BJP won in Uttar Pradesh, Goa, Uttarakhand, and Manipur in recently concluded Assembly elections, the Aam Admi Party (AAP) came to power in Punjab. While earlier in the day BJP declared that N Biren Singh will be the Chief Minister of Manipur, the party will most likely repose its faith in Yogi Adityanath and Pramod Sawant respectively for Uttar Pradesh and Goa. BJP will take a call on whom to appoint as the Deputy Chief Minister as Keshav Prasad Maurya who held the post, in the preceding State government, lost in the Assembly election.
As for Uttarakhand, caretaker Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said that the central leadership of BJP will take the final call on the next Chief Minister of the state. According to party sources, many union ministers have recommended Anil Baluni, BJP's national spokesperson, for the top post in the State. Speaking under the condition of anonymity, a senior BJP leader said that most of the MLAs and office-bearers are unable to agree on the names, which are being discussed by top party leaders. "Anything can happen as no one knows who is going to become the Chief Minister," he added.
Even as BJP won the Uttarakhand Assembly elections, Dhami lost from the Khatima constituency. BJP insiders said that Dhami is more likely to become the Chief Minister again as he is not only young and energetic, but the BJP contested the elections in his name in the state and emerged victorious. According to sources, another major reason for the party's decision to seal Dhami's name could be that it had faced a lot of criticism for replacing two chief ministers in a very short span of time in the last term.
