On 11/6/2021 UP CM Yogi Adityanath met PM Narendra Modi. The meeting took place some days after reports of Yogi defying Modi on appointing Arvind Kumar Sharma as Deputy CM appeared in media.
Sharma was an IAS officer of Gujarat cadre. Modi liked him. When Modi became PM, he got Sharma transferred to Delhi. In January 2021 Sharma having taken premature retirement joined BJP. He contested Legislative Council election and got elected. So far so good. Yogi did not have problem with Sharma becoming MLC.
Modi wanted Sharma to be made Deputy CM. UP has two Deputy CMs. As per one version both had no problem or opposition to Arvind Kumar Sharma becoming Deputy CM. Another version has it that Keshav Prasad Maurya was approached to quit as Deputy CM and become UP BJP President. Maurya was not ready to quit as Deputy CM but willing to take up additional charge of UP BJP President. Then attempt was made Dinesh Sharma to quit and make Arvind Kumar Sharma Deputy CM.
Yogi felt Arvind Kumar Sharma was sent to check on him. He refused to make him Deputy CM. Anandiben Patel is Governor of UP and holds additional charge of MP. She was in MP. She returned to UP and called Yogi for a meeting which lasted about one hour. It was said to be acrimonious.
Yogi defied Modi. RSS leader Dattatreya Hosabale was in Lucknow for four days. BJP leaders came from Delhi and met MLAs and ministers in UP.
Some have compared him to Kalyan Singh who went against Atal Behari Vajpayee and was replaced as CM. Yogi is a religious figure who is in politics. He heads Gorakhnath Temple in Gorakhpur. He had been MP many times. RSS wanted him as CM. Manoj Sinha was Modi’s choice.
In UP panchayat elections BJP did badly. That can be held against Yogi. However, BJP failed to win West Bengal and that can be held against Modi. But for some years BJP leaders have talked of collective responsibility.
In January 2021 Modi was in a strong position. There was hope of doing well in elections. Internationally, India’s standing was good. Corona Second Wave damaged India. Oxygen, remdesivir and vaccine shortage ruined India’s image. After many years India accepted foreign aid. People who had praised Modi for controlling Corona appeared fools. Corona crisis and election debacle made Modi vulnerable. He was criticised for donating/exporting vaccines. Many politicians who defected from TMC to BJP want to return to TMC. Mukul Roy returned to TMC on 11/6/2021, same day Yogi met Modi.
As of now the talk is that Yogi will continue as UP CM. He will lead BJP in 2022 elections. It is CM’s prerogative to appoint ministers.