Two days after Prime Minister Narendra Narendra Modi lauded Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in Varanasi, BJP President JP Nadda also had words of praise for the CM for turning UP into one of the “leading states”.
In a meeting with ground level party workers on 16 July, Nadda congratulated the state party unit for the recent victories of the party in Panchayat and block Pramukh elections suggesting that the BJP is making deeper inroads in rural areas.
The party president also asked party workers and leaders to create awareness about this flagship central and state government welfare schemes.
In the course of the meeting, Nadda reportedly said that UP has become one of the leading states in the country which is now known for ease of doing business.
However, according to a report by The Tribune, Adityanath’s detractors “hesitated” over naming him as the CM face for the state elections due in 2022.
Although, recently, PM Modi had said that the handling of the second wave of COVID-19 in UP was “unparalleled”, the CM has faced quite a lot of criticism over his COVID management.
Both citizens and BJP legislators questioned the Adityanath government's handling of the second wave that saw a big spike in cases and deaths, amid an acute shortage of oxygen and hospital beds.
Several rounds of meetings that was held by the top leadership of the party without the inclusion of Adityanath, earlier in June, had also led to a buzz of a power tussle within the party.
Amid such rumours, in the run up to the state elections, the Chief Minister also met Home Minister Amit Shah and PM Modi in June and said he "got guidance" from them.
Ahead of the anticipated third wave, the party is expected to ramp up its Covid management in a bid to tackle the mounting criticism by opposition over the mishandling during the second wave.
The party is planning to create an army of health workers who will be known as "Swasthya swayam sevaks" to focus on public health especially in rural areas.
MP, MLAs and public representatives from the party have been asked oversee the setting up of oxygen plants in their respective areas to support centre's plan to set up 1500 oxygen plants.
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