NEW DELHI: Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday dismissed claims of any differences between him and the central leadership of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He said such statements are made “for the sake of speaking.”
“Where does the question of differences come from? After all, I am sitting here because of the party. Can I continue sitting here if I have differences with the central leaders?” Adityanath said in an interview with the news agency Press Trust of India (PTI).
Samajwadi Party (SP) chief and former UP chief minister Akhilesh Yadav has repeatedly said that the BJP-led governments in Uttar Pradesh and at the Centre are not in agreement. He has compared the situation to a “double-engine government” where both engines are “colliding.”
Last month, while speaking in Parliament, Yadav criticized the UP government. He questioned the implementation of investment commitments made in the state. “I remember, the biggest investment meet was held in Uttar Pradesh. Not only were investors invited to the investment meet, but many programs of defence expo were also held. Assurances were given that the MoUs worth Rs 40 lakh crores are being done. I want to know from this double-engine government that out of the Rs 40 lakh crores of MoUs that have been done, how much has this government been able to bring on the ground?” he asked. “Is it not that the double engines of the government are clashing with each other? Now the news we read is that not only engines are colliding, even coaches have started colliding,” he added.
In the interview, Yogi Adityanath also spoke about the distribution of election tickets. He explained that ticket distribution is handled by the party’s parliamentary board after a proper screening process. “The second thing is that the distribution of (election) tickets is done by the parliamentary board of the party, and all matters are discussed in the parliamentary board. The matters reach there through proper screening. So, for the sake of speaking, anyone can say anything… one cannot shut someone’s mouth.”
Speculation about differences between Yogi Adityanath and the BJP’s central leadership, particularly Prime Minister Narendra Modi and home minister Amit Shah, has surfaced multiple times in recent years. These reports have mainly revolved around the power dynamics within the party.