‘All Is Well’ Between Adityanath & Keshav Maurya? CM’s 'Power Lunch' With His Deputy Amid Dissent Rumours

The Chief Minister was joined by his another deputy Dinesh Sharma besides Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale at the lunch.

UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath blesses the son and daughter-in-law of Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya. (Image: PTI)

Lucknow: In a bid to placate all differences and put up a united face ahead of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections just months away, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday visited his deputy Keshav Prasad Maurya’s residence here for a personal engagement.

Adityanath visited Maurya’s residence for a lunch hosted by the latter to mark the marriage of his son earlier in May.

The Chief Minister was joined by his another deputy Dinesh Sharma besides Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale at the lunch.

Moreover, this was for the first time in recent months that Adityanath paid a visit to the residence of his deputy, located less than 200 metres from his own official residence in Lucknow.

Earlier in October 2018, Adityanath had visited Maurya’s family home in Kaushambi district when the latter’s father passed away.

A picture released by the BJP showed the newlyweds Yogesh Kumar Maurya and Anjali Maurya, who tied the nuptial knot earlier on May 21, standing with the Chief Minister besides Keshav Prasad Maurya and his wife.

The move assumes significance as Maurya had recently said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) parliamentary board will take a final call on under whose leadership the party will contest the upcoming assembly polls.

Many speculate Maurya’s remarks to be an indication of a rift between him and the Chief Minister. This as Maurya was last time seen as a likely candidate for the top post before the BJP chose Adityanath, then a minister in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Cabinet, to take over as the Chief Minister.

The luncheon meeting was described as informal but Adityanath and his deputies went to the BJP office here soon after the lunch for another meeting attended by BJP central leaders Radha Mohan Singh and BL Santosh besides Uttar Pradesh BJP chief Swatantra Dev Singh.

Several senior state BJP leaders as well as some ministers were also present in the meeting attended by the Chief Minister, who has drawn flak from several quarters though discreetly over his handling of the Covid-19 crisis.