Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other senior BJP leaders here on Sunday, and is believed to have discussed with them the broad contours of government formation and the structure of the new state cabinet.
Tweeting about the meeting, which lasted for over 100 minutes, Modi said, "Had a meeting with Yogi Adityanath and congratulated him over the historic win in the Uttar Pradesh polls. He has worked tirelessly to fulfil 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."
Yogi also met Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, BJP president J P Nadda, party's general secretary (organisation) BL Santhosh among others. The BJP stormed back to power in Uttar Pradesh, retained Uttarakhand, Manipur and was the largest party in Goa in the recently concluded assembly polls. "'With his historic victory in the Uttar Pradesh elections, I congratulate him for forming the BJP government again in the state. He has taken the ideas of the BJP to the last strata of society. Best wishes for the future," Nadda tweeted after an hour-long meeting with Adityanath
In his first visit to the national capital after the party notched up a comprehensive victory in the assembly polls, Adityanath also met Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu. Adityanath's visit also comes in the backdrop of several ministers of the previous Uttar Pradesh cabinet, including Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya, losing in the polls. Set to take oath as the chief minister for a second term, Adityanath's talks with the top party leadership are believed to have centred around a host of issues related to the government formation besides being a formal exercise.
He is likely to be here for two days, sources said. The oath-taking ceremony of the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh is likely to be held after Holi, they said. The BJP won 255 seats in the 403-member assembly. Its two allies secured another 18 seats. Political watchers believe that Adityanath's stature has received a boost with the win as his leadership was at the centre of the BJP's re-election bid.
With PTI Inputs
