It is an open secret now that Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and his deputy Keshav Prasad Maurya are not on the same page, and the factional war within the BJP is threatening to weaken the saffron brigade which suffered huge reverses in the recently held Lok Sabha polls.
Maurya has been advised by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh not to air his differences in public. However, the Deputy CM appears to be pursuing an agenda, and is playing into the hands of a section, which wants Yogi to be held accountable for the Parliamentary losses. On his part, Yogi has made it clear that he was not prepared to take the blame since the ticket distribution was done by the central party.
The rift within the BJP could have wide ranging ramifications, beginning with the impact on the Assembly byelections in 10 constituencies. The sharp differences have all the ingredients of spilling on to the national stage which could not be in the overall interests of the Sangh Parivar.
Maurya has been unsparing in his attacks on Yogi and has claimed that ordinary party workers were not being given the respect they deserve. He had recently also stated that the organization was more powerful than the government, a statement that was construed to be an attempt to undermine the Chief Minister. He has been in touch with the allies, thereby sending strong signals of the discord.
However, it is apparent that Maurya who had lost the 2022 Assembly elections but was still made the Deputy CM, does not have it in him to pose a challenge to the CM, who remains extremely popular amongst the people, despite the losses in the Lok Sabha polls. The general belief is that Maurya was being nudged by some leaders to take on Yogi. This is where the trouble has started and the RSS is now not only trying to mend the fences but ensure that the differences do not harm the party any further.
Yogi is adamant that he shall not step down and is also determined to put all those who were with Maurya in their rightful place.
Watching the developments and waiting for an opportune moment, the Samajwadi Party and the Congress are waiting for things to precipitate further.
Although the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls are in 2027, the Opposition is getting geared up to take on the might of the saffron brigade. The first indication of where things would be headed, shall be provided by the outcome of the byelections. Yogi realizes this and thus is preparing for the showdown and has already constituted teams to oversee the polls. He has also asked his ministers to address the issues concerning the people on overriding priority.
Within the Sangh Parivar, a debate has also been ignited on whether those defeated in the Assembly polls could be entrusted with responsibilities which would in a way be contrary to the will of the people. In Uttarakhand, Pushkar Singh Dhami lost the polls which the BJP won but was made the CM, due to his proximity with the central leadership. Similarly, Maurya was given this responsibility.
This debate has also been on in the Congress, and when Sonia Gandhi gave the approval for appointment of both Shivraj Patil and PM Sayied as Union Ministers despite being defeated in the 2004 Lok Sabha polls, the move was seen as a violation of the norms observed by the party till then. Earlier P.V. Narasimha Rao as the Prime Minister and party chief had declined to send his close aide, Devendra Dwivedi to the Rajya Sabha, after he had lost the polls. The logic was that those rejected by the people cannot be given positions.
However, BJP has had its own conduct and under Narendra Modi, there were multiple ministers, Arun Jaitley and Smriti Irani, who were accommodated in the Cabinet despite suffering reverses in the polls. But then each party and its leadership are entitled to take decisions which are perceived by them for the overall welfare of the people.
However, what is playing out in UP is something which is causing a lot of worry and anxiety in the Sangh Parivar. Yogi Adityanath continues to be popular and at one stage, reporters working on the ground also had acknowledged that he was singularly the most admired leader in the State. Things have apparently changed and the outcome of the Lok Sabha polls has put the saffron brigade on the back foot. Akhilesh Yadav is suddenly more active and is sensing that his party could make a comeback in 2027.
However, what is happening within the BJP is not only weakening its structure and encouraging factionalism but is also going to impact its prospects in the future. The developments in the country’s largest state cannot be viewed in isolation, and can impact the party nationally. The BJP is on the defensive for the first time in Parliament and has to tread the path carefully along with its allies.
Simultaneously, the RSS is observing the unfolding drama. Its leadership has had several meetings with top BJP functionaries where certain things have been made clear. Significantly, the selection of the new BJP president would provide some indication where things stand.
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