Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Saturday in what officials described as a courtesy call, as political and organisational activity intensifies in the state ahead of next year's Assembly election.
The Prime Minister's Office shared a photograph of the meeting on X and said, "Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Shri @myogiadityanath met Prime Minister @narendramodi. @CMOfficeUP." The meeting lasted around an hour, according to reports.
Defence manufacturing puts UP in focus
The meeting came a day after Union Home Minister Amit Shah highlighted Uttar Pradesh's growing role in defence production while inaugurating the fourth Uttar Pradesh International Trade Show (UPITS) at the India Expo Mart in Greater Noida.
Shah said BrahMos missiles manufactured in Uttar Pradesh were giving "sleepless nights" to Pakistan, while AK-203 assault rifles being produced in Amethi were doing the same to Naxalites and terrorists. He said investment was flowing into all six nodes of the Uttar Pradesh Defence Industrial Corridor: Jhansi, Chitrakoot, Lucknow, Agra, Aligarh and Kanpur.
Addressing the gathering, the Home Minister said Uttar Pradesh was emerging as an engine of the nation's growth, with investment and production strengthening rapidly across the state.
Recalling that Prime Minister Modi had launched the Make in India campaign about 12 years ago, Shah said the Centre and state governments had subsequently worked together to transform India into a "global hub" for manufacturing and innovation.
The BrahMos Integration and Testing Facility Centre in Lucknow was inaugurated in May 2025 as part of the Uttar Pradesh Defence Industrial Corridor. The facility undertakes the assembly, integration and testing of the supersonic cruise missile, with the first batch manufactured there flagged off in October 2025.
BJP steps up organisational preparations
The developments also come amid heightened BJP organisational activity in Uttar Pradesh. Earlier this week, BJP national president Nitin Nabin visited the election-bound state for two days, with a focus on western districts.
During his visit, the party leadership reviewed organisational preparedness at the booth, Shakti Kendra, mandal and district levels and held direct interactions with party workers. The BJP has been intensifying such organisational mobilisation ahead of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly election scheduled for next year.
In a message on X, Nabin said that during his visit to Uttar Pradesh he reached the Kargil Martyrs Memorial Park in Meerut, where he paid floral tributes and bowed in homage to soldiers who made the supreme sacrifice in the nation's defence. He also planted a tree in their memory.
"The courage of our soldiers, their dedication to the nation, and their supreme sacrifice made while defending the country's borders will forever remain a source of inspiration for every Indian," he said.
The UP International Trade Show, meanwhile, is showcasing the state's manufacturing, defence and export capabilities. The 2026 edition is being held from September 25 to 29 and is expected to bring together manufacturers, MSMEs, exporters, artisans, startups, investors and international buyers. Organisers expect more than 2,400 exhibitors and over 550 international buyers from 85 countries.