Yogi meets Modi, Shah in Delhi; likely yo take oath on Saturday

New Delhi: In his first meeting after the BJP’s sweeping victory in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, as the party returned to power with an absolute majority, chief minister-designate Yogi Adityanath on Sunday met the BJP top brass, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, party chief J.P. Nadda and Union ministers Amit Shah and Rajnath Singh. Yogi Adityanath also met vice-president M. Venkaiah Naidu. During his meeting with Mr Shah at the latter’s residence, the BJP president was also present.   

The UP CM’s meeting with Mr Modi at the latter’s official residence lasted for nearly two hours. Mr Modi, who was personally invited by Yogi Adityanath for the oath-taking ceremony of the new government in UP that is likely to take place on March 19, expressed confidence that he will take the state to new heights of development in the coming years.

“Had a meeting with Yogi Adityanath today and congratulated him over the historic win in the Uttar Pradesh polls. He has worked tirelessly to fulfil the people’s aspirations in the last five years. I have full confidence that he will take the state’s development to new heights in the coming years,” the PM later tweeted. Yogi Adityanath is the first Uttar Pradesh CM to be re-elected to office after 37 years.

Earlier, Yogi Adityanath also met BJP national general secretary (organisation) B.L. Santosh and Union minister Sarbananda Sonowal.

The UP CM is in the national capital to discuss the composition of his new ministerial team, which is expected to have many new faces and also the representation of BJP allies Apna Dal (S) and Nishad Party in the new government. Speculation is rife in Lucknow that the new Cabinet could make take important decisions, including on stray cattle and free electricity to farmers, after its first meeting. The fate of two deputy CMs in the previous government -- Keshav Prasad Maurya, who lost the election, and Dinesh Sharma -- is also to be decided by the party’s central leadership.

In Uttarakhand, meanwhile, another state where the BJP has retained power, the new government is likely to take the oath on March 20. The senior BJP leaders from the hill state are likely to meet the party’s top brass on Monday over the formation of the government.