Keshav Prasad Maurya and Yogi Adityanath
After the Lok Sabha elections in Uttar Pradesh, political upheaval continues in the BJP. The fight between the organization and the government, which started with the meeting of the BJP state working committee, is increasing instead of decreasing. Deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya may be staying away from cabinet meetings and review meetings over the Kumbh preparations, but he is working in coordination with the BJP organization. Keshav Maurya is meeting BJP MLAs as well as leaders of allied parties and is also participating in meetings held at the party office.
The battle between the organization and the government in Uttar Pradesh BJP has now come out into the open. On Monday evening, a meeting was held at the BJP office in Lucknow, which was attended by both deputy CMs Keshav Prasad Maurya and Brijesh Pathak along with party state president Bhupendra Chaudhary and organization general secretary Dharampal Singh. CM Yogi Adityanath did not attend the meeting as he had scheduled meetings in Azamgarh and Varanasi. Due to which CM Yogi could not come to the meeting when four top leaders of the party were present.
There is political speculation about the presence of Keshav Prasad Maurya and Brijesh Pathak and absence of CM Yogi in the meeting to be held at the BJP office. In such a situation, Keshav Prasad Maurya is maintaining a better rapport with the Sangathan, as he has said several times in the State Working Committee meeting that the Sangathan is bigger than the government. Deputy CM Keshav Prasad may be keeping a distance from cabinet meetings after the Lok Sabha election results, but he maintains close ties with the organisation. On Monday, he was seen meeting with the organization’s general secretary Dharampal and state president Bhupendra Chaudhary and trying to convey a political message.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath could not attend the state office meeting on Monday due to meetings in Azamgarh and Varanasi. Subhasap President and Panchayat Raj Minister Om Prakash were to attend the meeting called by CM Yogi in Azamgarh. Instead of going to CM Yogi’s meeting, Rajbhar is meeting Keshav Prasad Maurya in Lucknow. However, he did not share with anyone what issue he discussed with Keshav. Rajbhar’s meeting with Keshav is being linked to the ongoing tension within the BJP.
The results of the Lok Sabha elections in Uttar Pradesh have dealt a deep blow to the BJP. In UP, the BJP has reduced from 62 seats to 33. Due to the defeat in UP, the BJP could not touch the majority mark. Since then, the series of meetings has been going on continuously. The churning over the defeat has created tension in the BJP. In July 2014, CM Yogi said overconfidence was the reason behind the BJP’s defeat, while Keshav Prasad Maurya said the organization was bigger than the government. Since then, there has been tension in the BJP.
Keshav Prasad Maurya expressed his stand at the BJP Working Committee meeting held in Lucknow on July 14. After this he wrote on social media that the organization was bigger than the government, is bigger and always will be. I am deputy chief minister second, first worker. The doors of my house are open to all. The next day after this, Keshav wrote to his own Yogi government asking how far the reservation rules have been followed in recruitment through contract and outsourcing. The Department of Appointments and Personnel (DOAP), from which Keshav sought information, is with CM Yogi.
Keshav Prasad Maurya’s action was also seen as giving a message to Yogi. Discussions started in political circles that the gap between CM Yogi and Keshav has widened after the low number of seats in the Lok Sabha elections. That’s why they don’t attend any government meetings and are busy setting the political agenda, often portraying the organization as bigger than the government. After the defeat in UP, state president Bhupendra Chaudhary has also underlined the displeasure of workers towards the Yogi government in his report.
Keshav Maurya was the state president of BJP at the time of UP assembly elections in 2017. The party got a bumper success in the elections, but the Chief Minister’s chair went to Yogi Adityanath. Keshav had to be content with being the Deputy CM. After this, the news of political conflict between Keshav Maurya and CM Yogi keeps coming. The Sangh had intervened to create a political balance between Keshav and Yogi ahead of the 2022 elections. After reaching Keshav Maurya’s house, CM Yogi had a meal.
Keshav faced defeat from his seat Sirathu in the 2022 assembly elections, but was made deputy CM to keep the OBC votes concentrated. Now there is talk of political friction between CM Yogi and Keshav Maurya after the Lok Sabha election results. In such a situation, Keshav may be keeping a distance from the government, but he does not let his closeness with the organization diminish. Hence on one hand they are meeting workers, leaders and MLAs and on the other hand they are also attending meetings of the organization.
