Yogi Adityanath was on Thursday elected as the Leader of the BJP Legislative Party in Uttar Pradesh, ahead of him taking oath as the chief minister of the state for a second consecutive term.
Addressing BJP MLAS in Lucknow, Adityanath said: “For the first time, a Chief Minister completed his five-year tenure and the party came to power once again for the second time (in Uttar Pradesh). This has happened for the first time. It has happened under the guidance and leadership of PM Modi.” Adityanath was elected as leader of the BJP legislature party in UP in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
In the recent Assembly polls, the BJP retained power in Uttar Pradesh by winning 255 out of 403 constituencies.
“There were several development projects successfully carried out in Uttar Pradesh in last 5 years with the support of PM Modi. For the first time, people realised that homes for poor could be built, for the first time people realised that UP can be riot free,” Adityanath said.
The chief minister who is also a five-time MP from Gorakhpur highlighted that people of Uttar Pradesh were firm in the belief that “Modi hai toh mumkin hai.” “We have to work together again for the betterment of the state. Uttar Pradesh is the most populated state in the country, there is a lot of work I have to do in the coming years,” Adityanath said.
Adityanath will take oath as UP chief minister at Ekana Stadium in Lucknow on Friday where Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, chief ministers of BJP-ruled states and BJP senior leadership are expected to attend the ceremony.
Adityanath will be the first Chief Minister in the last 37 years to return to power after completing a full term in the state. The BJP has decided to invite representatives from a wide cross-section of society including industrialists and religious leaders. Sources said that guests at the ceremony also include professionals, leaders from the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and retired government officers.
Former Uttar Pradesh BJP chief Laxmikant Bajpai said that leading industrialists are being invited to the ceremony as they have a role in creating employment and will help boost the state’s economy. “We are inviting industrialists who would be keen to set up industries in Uttar Pradesh. Religious leaders are being invited in large numbers to seek their blessings for the government to work for the people of the state in the next five years,” he said.
The BJP leader said the party is planning to convert the oath-taking ceremony into a “mega-show” on a scale that has never happened before.
“The people of Uttar Pradesh have blessed us with a big win under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and party chief JP Nadda. If we look at the preparations for the event tomorrow, it will be a show that has never taken place. The swearing-in ceremony will be one of its kind,” he said.
“We are also preparing to install digital screens in various districts for people to witness the ceremony in large numbers. Nearly 90,000 party workers from all the districts are attending the event,” he added.
Meanwhile, Lucknow Traffic Police issued a traffic diversion plan in view of the swearing-in ceremony. The diversion plan will be in effect till 10 pm on March 25. “All vehicles except the attendee vehicles will be diverted to other routes in the city. Traffic from Ayodhya to Barabanki would be diverted to Chinhut circle,” stated an official release by Lucknow Traffic Police.
Traffic from the city to Bareilly will be diverted towards Hazrat ganj circle where they can take an exit from the jail road.
All civil vehicles including public transport would be completely restricted around the stadium. Separate route diversion and parking spaces have been allotted by the officials so as to keep the traffic in check.