Lucknow: Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat’s recent visit to Lucknow and subsequent separate meetings with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday evening in Lucknow, followed by separate meetings with Deputy Chief Ministers Keshav Prasad Maurya and Brajesh Pathak on Thursday morning has sparked political debate.
The meetings have been described as courtesy calls, but they have triggered political buzz amid speculation over a cabinet expansion and organisational reshuffle in the state which is mandatory for 2027 elections.
Bhagwat met the two deputy chief ministers on Thursday morning for around 10 minutes each. The meetings came a day after the chief minister held a closed door interaction with the RSS chief at the Sangh office complex in Nirala Nagar. The meeting, held at the Saraswati Shishu Mandir premises, lasted around 35 minutes and was held in complete privacy.
Bhagwat was in Lucknow on a two day visit, with Wednesday being the final day of his stay in the state capital. Given the ongoing churn in Uttar Pradesh politics, the back to back meetings with the chief minister and the two deputy chief ministers have been seen as politically significant, despite official claims that they were courtesy visits.
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Political analyst Rajendra Kuar said the RSS chief has been focusing on Uttar Pradesh in recent months and has been visiting the state frequently on various organisational engagements. He said the outreach indicates a larger role for the Sangh Parivar in shaping the political roadmap for the 2027 Assembly elections.
The RSS chief is learnt to meet the chief minister during most of his visits to the state. With the Assembly elections due next year, the interaction between the government leadership and the Sangh leadership is being closely watched in political circles.
