BJP chief Nitin Nabin was warmly welcomed as he arrived in Lucknow on a two-day visit on Saturday, during which he is expected to hold a series of meetings with senior leaders to streamline the party’s plan for the 2027 Assembly polls.
Nabin travelled on a specially designed motorised chariot, carrying photos of top party leaders and ‘Seva, Sushasan and Jan Kalyan’ written on it. His motorcade virtually crawled as party cadres jostled to meet and greet him.
At the airport, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath welcomed Nabin.
In a post on X in Hindi, Adityanath said, “A warm welcome and greetings to the national president of @BJP4India, Shri @NitinNabin ji, in Uttar Pradesh — a land sanctified by the dust of the holy feet of Lord Shri Ram and the divine Lord Shri Krishna, and a centre of culture, values, and creativity.”
UP BJP chief Pankaj Chaudhary, both Deputy Chief Ministers Keshav Prasad Maurya and Brajesh Pathak along with other UP ministers also welcomed the BJP national president at the airport.
The Kayastha Foundation Trust also accorded a welcome to Nabin at the airport.
BJP leader Dilip Srivastava said Nabin’s first visit to Lucknow serves as a source of inspiration and enthusiasm for BJP workers, especially ahead of the 2027 elections.
A grand roadshow to party headquarters began as leaders and workers lined up to welcome the BJP president. Some party workers were also seen standing on a bulldozer from where they showered petals on him.
Some Muslim women were also seen standing with a garland of 403 lotus flowers (symbolising 403 seats of the UP Assembly) as they welcomed the BJP president near Hind Nagar, UP BJP Minority Morcha chief Basit Ali told PTI.
The two-day schedule of Nabin, the youngest national BJP chief ever, includes a dinner meeting with CM Adityanath, separate meetings with UP BJP chief Chaudhary, deputy CMs Maurya and Pathak, intellectuals, party lawmakers and others.
“Several issues, including plan and strategy for 2027 UP polls, will come up for discussion,” a senior BJP leader said.
Nabin is also tipped to meet party functionaries like regional presidents, district unit presidents and heads of various morchas.
After Mathura and Varanasi, this is Nabin’s third visit to the state since taking over as the party chief. A visit to the Hanuman Setu temple is also on the cards, party leaders said.
“In view of the upcoming Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh next year, this visit of the BJP national president is extremely important for sharpening the BJP’s strategy and guiding the newly announced UP BJP,” the party said.
A meeting with the party’s core committee is also likely to take place. Later in the evening, he will meet prominent personalities of Uttar Pradesh at the residence of Padma Shri awardee Dr Vidya Bindu Singh in Lucknow.