Maha Kumbh Mela 2025: The Uttar Pradesh government would send ministers to invite governors and chief ministers across the nation for the Maha Kumbh to start from Prayagraj from January 2025. This was decided at a meeting of ministers convened by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath at his Lok Bhavan office in Lucknow on Friday (November 29).
"It has been decided that UP ministers would visit all the states and invite governors and chief ministers to Kumbh. The itinerary of ministers is being prepared," a senior UP minister told media after the meeting.
When asked if opposition leaders would also be approached, he said, "Why not? We will seek an audience with all CMs, including those from opposition states and invite them."
On November 22, the UP cabinet headed by Adityanath approved a proposal to hold roadshows and events in India and abroad to promote the Maha Kumbh that UP government officials said would draw devotees in record numbers from across the globe. The roadshows would be led by ministers who would also use the occasion to meet governors and CMs of the states they visit on the occasion, a minister said.
These visits are expected to be over before Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s December 13 visit to Prayagraj just ahead of the Maha Kumbh scheduled from January 13, 2025, this minister said. Before the prime minister's Prayagraj visit Adityanath would visit the city to take stock of the preparations for the Kumbh.
"The Kumbh is going to be organised on a grand scale and the meeting was all about ensuring grandeur and divinity while showcasing foolproof management at the mega event," Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak told newspersons after the meeting.
Tourism Minister Jaiveer Singh promotes Kumbh in Delhi
UP’s Tourism Minister Jaiveer Singh is already in Delhi to promote Kumbh among representatives of several countries. Pathak also said that better law and order across the state was also discussed.
"The law and order in UP is already good and so we discussed ways to ensure that it not just stays that way but becomes even better," Pathak said.
UP minister Danish Azad also hinted that along with Kumbh the issue of implementation of the party’s Lok Kalyan Sankalp Patra and the lone remaining bypoll was also discussed.
Azad was hinting at the yet-to-be-announced bypoll on the Milkipur seat in Ayodhya where the BJP is expected to rely on the same strategy to unite its vote bank that worked for it in the recent by-polls in which BJP won six of the nine seats while its ally RLD also won one seat.
UP BJP chief Bhupendra Chaudhary and state general secretary (organisation) Dharampal Singh also attended the meeting convened by Adityanath.
"Several organisational issues were also discussed at the meeting," the UP BJP chief said.
