Yogi Adityanath meets PM Modi amid speculations over change in UP face

After meeting Modi for an hour, Adityanath tweeted, "Today, I had the privilege of meeting with respected PM Modi and getting his guidance. My heartfelt gratitude to the respected Prime Minister for providing time and kind guidance amid your busy routine."

Adityanath also met BJP national president Jagat Prakash Nadda separately.

The Chief Minister met Union Home Minister and BJP strongman Amit Shah a day ago.

Earlier in June, BJP national general secretary BL Santosh held one-on-one meetings with various ministers of Uttar Pradesh.

There has been an open criticism of the government's handling of the pandemic by several BJP leaders, adding worries to the top brass.

Visuals showing bodies of dead COVID-19 patients floating on river Ganga flashed on television screens days ago, coupled with hospitals struggling to cope with the influx of infected people, who also suffered due to shortage of oxygen.

In the last week of May, Modi and Shah, who virtually lead the BJP nationally, held a meeting with other leaders to fix the poll strategy for the 2022 Assembly Elections.

Just days after getting decimated in the West Bengal polls, the BJP was surprised by reverses in the panchayat polls in Uttar Pradesh in May.

Though no candidate fought on a party symbol, the BJP-backed leaders were pipped by Akhilesh Yadav's Samajwadi Party (SP).

Very significantly, former Union Minister Jitin Prasada, who was a key Congress member, joined the BJP on Wednesday.

Prasada, a Brahmin face in Uttar Pradesh, could play a crucial role in the upcoming state elections.

Uttar Pradesh, the most populous state in the country, is key for the BJP and of course others as well to wrest power in the road to 2024 General Elections.

In the 2017 Assembly Elections, the BJP had won over 300 of 403 seats and won a huge number of seats in Lok Sabha polls both in 2014 and 2019.