THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING YOGI ADITYANATH

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath was recently given prime importance when he was asked to move the political resolution at the BJP National Executive held last weekend. The move is significant because the resolution has earlier been moved by party stalwarts like Rajnath Singh (who moved it in 2017 and 2018) as well as the likes of Nitin Gadkari. That Yogi was given this honour shows his entry into the top echelon of BJP leaders. Interestingly Yogi Adityanath attended the meeting in person though at first, he was to attend it digitally. Other state chief ministers like Shivraj Singh Chouhan joined the meeting digitally. While speaking to the media, finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman parried the question `Why Yogi’, with a `Why not?’. He is heading the crucial state of Uttar Pradesh that is slated to go to the polls early next year. The resolution also talked about Covid handling and Prime Minister Modi’s leadership, all of which will be key issues during the coming elections.

Interestingly, the posters in Uttar Pradesh show more of Yogi than Modi, making it clear that the mandate will be fought largely on the UP Chief Minister’s track record. However, as Home Minister Amit Shah told the people of UP on a visit to the state, if you want Modi in 2024 then you have to vote for Yogi in 2022. There is a link between the two, between India’s largest state that sends Prime Ministers to the Centre and the Prime Minister’s own image. Added to that is the fact that the PM’s constituency Varanasi is also in Uttar Pradesh.

Some have been speculating, after Modi whom? Who will head the BJP in a post-Modi era? The answer to this question invariably has Yogi Adityanath as one of the candidates, along with others such as Rajnath Singh, Nitin Gadkari, and Amit Shah.

There has also been speculation about a Yogi Vs Modi faceoff. Around June there was a buzz that the PM may change the UP Chief Minister and replace him with someone who is more dependent on the Centre for survival. Unlike the other chief ministers appointed during the Modi era, Yogi Adityanath has his own mass following and does not need the PM to campaign for him. Instead, it is Yogi who is often called to campaign for the BJP outside the state. Again, on the Hindutva turf, if the PM is known as the Hindutva Hriday Samrat, the monk in saffron is not far behind on the Hindutva branding. Yet the PMO was quick to scotch any talk of the PM being displeased with the firebrand chief minister, and the BJP top brass let it be known that Yogi would continue to be Chief Minister and the face of the party for the 2022 state election. (Compare this with the way Congress handled Captain Amarinder Singh). Keeping this in mind, giving Yogi prime importance to the national executive was another way of scuttling any buzz that the PM was not backing the UP Chief Minister. So at least until the state elections that speculation has been laid to rest. What happens after that will depend on the showing at the hustings. If the BJP sweeps Uttar Pradesh once again under Yogi’s leadership then it would be difficult to replace him. But if the numbers fall then perhaps the party’s top brass will have the excuse they need — should they want to replace Yogi as the party’s face in the Hindi heartland. But before they take such a drastic step, they would also keep Amit Shah’s words in mind— the link between the 2022 Uttar Pradesh state polls and the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. Again knowing the BJP it is understood that both of which will be fought on a strong plank of Hindutva which makes Yogi Adityanath’s position all the more secure.