After a day-long “political reality show”, the BJP leadership on Saturday anointed firebrand party MP from Gorakhpur, Mahant Yogi Adityanath as Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh. Yogi Adityanath will be the 32nd Chief Minister of UP.
The new Chief Minister will be assisted by State party president and MP Keshav Prasad Maurya and lucknow Mayor Dinesh Sharma as Deputy Chief Ministers. The BJP Cabinet headed by Adityanath will be administered oath office at Kanshiram Smriti Upvan in lucknow on Sunday.
In a move that surprised many, the 44-year-old five-term MP was elected the BJP legislature Party leader at a meeting of the newly-elected MlAs, a week after the BJP won a resounding three-fourths majority in the key Hindi heartland State, making a comeback to power after 15 years.
Before the formal announcement of his name, the party leadership summoned him to Delhi for a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah. From that moment onward, the leadership race was no more open. It was obvious that Yogi had pipped his rivals to the post for the coveted chair of the Chief Minister. later Yogi air-dashed to lucknow by a chartered flight.
In his first brief media interaction at Raj Bhawan, Adityanath said that he would follow Narendra Modi’s ‘sabka saath, sabka vikas’ policy and exuded confidence that the State would march on the path of development.
“I am thankful to Governor Ram Naik who invited me to form the Government in UP,” he said.
The Yogi said his efforts would be to provide “good governance” in the State. He thanked party MlAs for reposing faith in him.
Till Saturday noon there was speculation that Union Minister of State for Telecom Manoj Sinha would be the most likely choice of the BJP central leadership. On Saturday morning, Manoj Sinha reached Varanasi and had darshan of Kaal Bhairav and Kashi Vishwanath temple. However, by the afternoon, the State BJP leaders shared the information with the media that Yogi Adityanath was the choice of the Prime Minister and the BJP president and he would be formally elected as the new Chief Minister of UP.
Adityanath is known for his provocative speeches and mass following across the State and never shies away from making controversial remarks, be it about Islam or Pakistan. Clad in his trademark saffron-coloured robe, Adityanath is expected to give a push to BJP’s powerbase in eastern UP.
The supporters of Yogi Adityanath were euphoric over his nomination and rent the air with the slogans “Desh mein Modi, Pradesh mein Yogi’ and RsPradesh bimar hai, Yogi laaz hai’. Even as the meeting to elect the legislature party leader was underway inside the lok Bhawan, thousands of supporters from Gorakhpur and other districts had gathered here in large numbers.
The central BJP leadership had deputed three observers-- Union Minister for Urban Development Venkaiah Naidu, BJP general secretary Bhupendra Yadav and state in charge of the party and general secretary Om Mathur. The leaders of the two allies of the BJP --Apna Dal (Sonelal) president and Union Minister of State Anupriya Patel and Suheldeo Bharatiya Samaj Party president Om Prakash Rajbhar (MlA) were also present in the meeting.
Naidu said the proposal to select Yogi Adityanath as leader of the legislature party was moved by Suresh Khanna and seconded by 11 MlAs. later, it was unanimously adopted. He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP president Amit Shah and chief ministers of all BJP and NDA-ruled states will participate in oath-taking ceremony. He said the top priority of the new Government will be development and good governance.
Addressing the party legislators, chief minister-designate Adityanath said, “We have to change the face of UP and the development of the State will be my top priority. UP is a very big and diverse State and I need your support for the rapid development of the state and fulfilling the aspirations of the people’’.
Making no mention of Hindutva or any divisive issue, Adityanath said he needed two Deputy Chief Ministers. later, BJP general secretary Om Mathur said Keshav Prasad Maurya and Dinesh Sharma will be the two Deputy Chief Ministers to assist Adityanath.