Lucknow, July 22 -- After years of a visible strain in ties with the state leadership, Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, former BJP MP from Kaiserganj and a heavyweight in Uttar Pradesh politics, called on chief minister Yogi Adityanath at the latter's official residence here on Monday afternoon. The meeting that came after a long gap sparked speculation in political circles. "He (Yogi) is the chief minister of the state. A meeting was bound to happen, and it happened," Brij Bhushan said, briefly speaking to a sec -tion of the media after a less than half-an-hour long meeting. Observers feel that had the meeting gone as per his expectations, Singh, who is known for his outspokenness, would have been more vocal and more open about the meeting with the CM. When asked about the nature of the discussion, he avoided specifics, merely remarking, "The meeting happened." Sanjeev Singh, representative of the former MP, said Brij Bhushan met the chief minister after he got a call from the CM's office for the meeting. Though the exact issues discussed were not known, the timing and context of the meeting have added to its significance. Notably, in previous remarks, Brij Bhushan had claimed that he could meet the chief minister whenever he wished and that there was "no problem" in doing so but he was preoccupied with work. Over the past few years, Singh has frequently put the state government in the dock with his sharp public statements, openly questioning policies and even calling Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav his "younger brother." His outspokenness and visible admiration for political opponents have long been seen as a source of discomfort within BJP ranks. The government had, in recent times, cancelled several PWD contracts and suspended local officials in the Devi Patan region, which many believe was aimed at curbing Singh's influence. The region is politically and religiously important to both Yogi and Brij Bhushan. Adityanath and Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh had shared the stage during a public meeting in Gonda during the 2019 Lok Sabha election campaign. Brij Bhushan had met Adityanath in January 2022 to invite him to events related to his birthday but the CM did not attend the programme. Brij Bhushan was not available over the phone for his comment. Neither did he respond to a WhatsApp message....