Top Sangh leader BL Santhosh praises Adityanath; bid to send a message 'all is well' in UP BJP

Vibha Sharma 

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, June 2

Praising Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, top central saffron leader BL Santhosh has said the Uttar Pradesh Government “effectively managed” the deadly second Covid wave in the state and reduced the daily infection count by 93 per cent.

The endorsement came after a two-day review meeting in Lucknow amid widespread criticism against CM Adityanath over pandemic “mismanagement” and speculations of a possible reshuffle in his government and the state BJP.

Taking to social media, Santhosh said in five weeks, the Yogi Adityanath government reduced the new daily case count in UP by 93 per cent. “Remember, it’s a state with a population of over 20 crore. When CMs could not manage a city of 1.5 crore, Yogiji managed quite effectively,” said the BJP general secretary (organisation).  

Later, he also endorsed the decision of the state government to vaccinate parents of children below 12 years. “A wise move considering the logic that if at all third wave comes, it may affect children more. Parents will be around to look after the kids more safely,” Santhosh said.

Though state leaders have always said that the review meeting by central leaders, which included Santhosh and BJP’s state in-charge Radha Mohan Singh was related to preparations for the UP elections scheduled next year, speculations were rife about changes in the Adityanath Cabinet and BJP’s state organisation led by Swatantra Dev Singh.

Apparently, there are rumblings in the state BJP that Singh “is also not being able to spread the right message”. Rumour mills also claimed that a key point of saffron parleys was also to decide whether to go in for the incumbent CMs as its face in the upcoming election campaigns in various states.

On whether Santhosh’s backing means the embattled Chief Minister is in the clear, observers say “it is obvious that ahead of the crucial UP elections, the BJP does not want to give an impression that there is any problem within the party. Unlike other CMs, Adityanath has his own cadre, has a hold on at least 25-30 seats and can influence results in an equal number of constituencies”.  

Sources say several state leaders voiced reservations about the current situation of the BJP amid the “simmering anger” among people in the state. The general feeling is that if the BJP goes to the elections in the current circumstances, it may suffer substantial losses. Thousands of people, including BJP leaders and their kin, have lost their lives in the past one and a half months as Covid raged. Those who died of Covid include ministers and MLAs of the Adityanath government.

However, leaders close to Adityanath dismissed all speculations, saying that the CM “made it amply clear that he is not open to any radical changes in the government or the organisation”. Adversaries, meanwhile, claim that some changes, especially in the state organisation, could be expected.   

Ever since the meeting of top RSS and BJP leaders in Delhi, followed by another of Sangh leaders in Lucknow, the rumour mills are working overtime about “important changes” in UP Government, including a “bigger role” for former Gujarat-cadre IAS officer AK Sharma, a close confidant of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who took voluntary retirement to join the saffron party a couple of months back.

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