‘Discontent in BJP ranks’: Amit Shah to visit Lucknow on July 29

BJP national president Amit Shah will visit Lucknow for three days starting July 29, amid reports of discontent in the party’s state ranks, and hold meetings with various party units, Cabinet ministers and RSS office-bearers. Party state general secretary Vijay Bahadur Pathak confirmed the BJP chief’s visit to Lucknow, saying he was visiting every state in the country to hold meetings over organisational activities.
“The party national president will give his guidance to party workers on ongoing organisational activities and upcoming programmes,” Pathak said. According to BJP leaders, Shah will meet party’s state officebearers and heads of various cells to discuss initiatives such as programmes under Deendayal Upadhyay birth centenary celebrations, the vistarak campaign and office development. He will also meet with the BJP organisational unit, from booth-level to state-level.
Shah’s most significant meeting, according to sources, will be with Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and his Cabinet members. “Shah may discuss the dissatisfaction prevailing among cadre workers against the state government. Party MLAs and other organisational workers have raised their disagreements at different forums, including top leaders in Delhi as well as the RSS. Shah will speak to everyone concerned,” said a party leader.
RSS senior functionaries have held three coordination meetings with Adiyanath during the last three months, to coordinate BJP and RSS units in the state. Meanwhile, BJP workers continue to allege that government officers in various districts are not paying heed to their complaints, and blame the state government for not taking strict action against such officers. Cabinet minister Om Prakash Rajbhar had recently announced he would stage a dharna in Ghazipur, demanding the transfer of the district magistrate. He, however, called off the protest after speaking to the chief minister.
Rajbhar is the national president of BJP ally Suheldeo Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP). “There are reports that some MPs from the state have complained to the top brass about some UP ministers. Shah could speak to the CM in this regard, because the reputation of the state government as well as the party mean a lot… in view of the next Lok Sabha elections,” said a state minister.