Why UP BJP members complained to Amit Shah about CM Yogi Adityanath
Four months ago when Yogi Adityanath took over the reins of Uttar Pradesh, it evoked unprecedented euphoria among BJP supporters who, like anyone else, had never imagined that a saffron-clad sadhu will one day be installed as the chief minister.
Besides conceiving it as the first step towards the fulfilment of their long-cherished dream of establishing a “Hindu Rashtra”, somewhere deep down it also gave birth to expectations of reaping a rich harvest (read material benefits) associated with power. Many of them began to imagine themselves in the shoes of their Samajwadi Party counterparts who until sometime back, were conveniently taking their pound of flesh.
Little did they fathom that their expectations would be belied, compelling them to look up to the party bigwigs in Delhi to dislodge the leader on whom they had placed all their hopes barely 120 days earlier.
Surely enough, they did not miss the first opportunity when party chief Amit Shah paid a three-day visit to Lucknow in July end.
Insiders claim that the BJP president planned a three-day stay here essentially in response to echoing demands from the rank and file, who were desperate to vent their displeasure with their very own ruling dispensation.
Repeated appeals had already been made to prime minister Narendra Modi to send Shah to take stock of the prevailing political situation in UP.
Some in-house complainants were understood to have gone to the extent of telling Modi that unless "corrective" steps were taken, they would find it difficult to mobilise support for the 2019 Lok Sabha election – when Modi would be looking to further consolidate his position for a second prime ministerial term.
Evidently, the dissatisfaction was largely with Yogi Adityanath, his priorities and his style of governance. No wonder Shah made it a point to give every party functionary a fair chance to freely speak his mind.
Even though Adityanath remained glued with Amit Shah throughout, some partymen, including a few legislators and district presidents, did not hesitate to vent their grievance against him. The common complaint was about the chief minister not conceding their petty requests. "If we are not able to oblige those who have supported us in the last Lok Sabha and state Assembly election, then with what face can we go before them for support in 2019," confessed a senior party functionary from Yogi’s own support base in eastern Uttar Pradesh.
It was not as if complaints were made only by those who had a personal axe to grind. A large number of party leaders expressed deep concern over the state’s deteriorating law and order, which seem be carrying on the way it was in an ineffective Akhilesh Yadav regime.
Some wondered why the chief minister, who was seen as a "no-nonsense man", had failed to make any difference to the law and order situation, that was largely responsible for the debacle that Akhilesh faced.
It is said that issues were also raised about the "bureaucratic" style of functioning, where those siting at the helm of affairs were only busy passing the buck without taking things to logical conclusion.
Some party leaders went to the extent of complaining to Shah how they were finding themselves as impotent and ineffective as they used to feel during other regimes.
“Our electorate has certain expectations from us in power and if we are not able to fulfil at least some bit of their expectations, then what do we do?” was the common refrain of some.
Some complained that the bureaucracy refused to listen to public representatives because the chief minister had himself been telling them not to entertain partymen. When Amit Shah looked towards Yogi, pat came the response: “All I did was to tell officers not to get pressurised by anyone to do anything in violation of rules and laws, but that has apparently been misconstrued.”
All the misgivings – that came as a surprise for Yogi – largely arose out of the high expectations of partymen who were looking to reap a rich harvest now that their party was in power.
Yogi’s only asset – integrity – seems to have come in the way. Striking a balance between maintaining his clean image and keeping the party cadres in good humour has become a tough call for him.
What made matters worse for him was that some of his own ministers pointedly blamed him for being “uncooperative”. Be it the lucrative mining contracts or road building and other construction or supply contracts, Yogi was busy emphasising on “transparency” – that would not allow many from his own stock – to have their way.
Perhaps, there would have been no grudges had the same rule been followed without discrimination. But the fact remains that some exceptions were made. Thus, recommendations made by party organisation secretary, Sunil Bansal, were carried out without any "ifs" and "buts". Naturally, that did irked many whose requests went unheeded.
Bansal, who was imported from Rajasthan by Shah to run the party war room during the 2014 Lok Sabha and 2017 state Assembly elections, has now emerged as the most significant power centre. It is said, what you cannot get in Yogi’s durbar, can be delivered in Bansal's – but for a price.
Even as partymen discuss Bansal in hushed tones, none dared to complain to Shah. After all Bansal’s close proximity to Shah is an open secret. All his power flows from Shah.
Yet, Shah did not hesitate to concede that the state of affairs in UP does require some serious attention. So he is all set to pay yet another visit – not far from now – in September. Surely, the developments would be interesting to watch.