PM Modi to meet Yogi cabinet over dinner in Lucknow tonight – Here’s what’s on agenda

On his way back to Delhi from Nepal today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be halting in Lucknow for a meeting with the Yogi Adityanath cabinet over a dinner. The scheduled meeting has sparked buzz in the state’s political circles over what message will be conveyed by the party’s top leader to the government which is just a few weeks into its second term. 

The visit gains significance in view of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections as UP send 80 members to the Lok Sabha — the highest among all states. 

The Indian Express quoted a senior state BJP leader saying that the prime minister can be a guiding light since he has run the government in Gujarat for consecutive terms. 

“In the first tenure, the BJP government kept blaming the previous Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) regimes. The party sought second term to put everything in order. The government will have to showcase its works, particularly on the employment front. It is for the first time in 37 years that a party got full majority in UP for second consecutive term. PM Modi can guide in this situation since he has the experience of running government in Gujarat for successive terms,” the leader was quoted as saying. 

Another concern among a section of leaders is about the party’s declining number of seats in the state in both Lok Sabha and Assembly polls. 

“Anti-incumbency could be stronger in 2024 than in 2019. So it is essential for the governments at the Centre and in the state to deliver and execute the schemes on the ground. That requires pro-active participation of all the ministries of the state government. The PM’s tips may be helpful on this,” The Indian Express quoted the leader as saying. 

The upcoming Rajya Sabha polls are also likely to be discussed during the PM’s meeting with the Yogi Adityanath cabinet. As many as 11 Rajya Sabha seats from the state are scheduled to go to polls on June 10, and the BJP will be looking to pick up candidates keeping the 2024 Lok Sabha elections in mooned.