Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Sunday, indicated that Yogi Adityanath is the BJP’s choice as the next chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, saying if his government is formed again he would make up for the time lost by the state due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The PM remarks at a virtual poll rally went beyond praise for Adityanath for the work done by the state’s BJP government during his term, and appeared to settle the debate over the party’s CM face.
The virtual rally, his third recently for UP, comes just days before the first phase of polling in the state on February 10.
He lashed out at the main opposition, the Samajwadi Party, criticising it over the law and order when it was in power just before Adityanath’s government was sworn in.
The PM hailed what the BJP government has accomplished in the state and said if there hadn’t been the pandemic over the past two years, Adityanath would have done even better at the job of providing homes for the poor under a central scheme.
The PM said he believed that the people of Uttar Pradesh will give such an overwhelming majority to the BJP for the coming five years that Aditynath will get strength to accomplish such tasks.
He also projected Adityanath as the next chief minister while mentioning the Centre’s Ujjwala scheme that gives free cooking gas connections.
“The women of UP have decided that they have to make the BJP win and make Yogi ji chief minister again (Bhajpa ko jitana jai, Yogi ji ko phir mukhya mantra banana hai),” he said.
Months back, there was speculation that the BJP was contemplating a new chief minister if it comes to power in the state.
In October, Union Home Minister Amit Shah dispelled the impression, saying if people of Uttar Pradesh wanted to see Narendra Modi as prime minister in 2024, they must elect Adityanath as chief minister in 2022.
Sunday’s remarks could be interpreted as the PM’s view that Adityanath is best suited for the post, if the party wins the assembly polls.
Addressing voters in Mathura, Agra and Bulandshahr, Modi said the people of Uttar Pradesh have decided that development will be the biggest issue in the upcoming elections.
Hitting out at the previous governments, the PM said, “Those who were in power earlier were not concerned with faith or your needs. Their only agenda was to loot UP."
"The people of UP have bluntly said no matter how much politics some people do on the basis of money, muscle power, casteism or communalism, they will not get the love of the public," he said.
Taking a swipe at Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav over his recent remark that he sees Lord Krishna in his dream, the prime minister said, "Witnessing the immense support for the BJP, these people are now seeing Lord Krishna in their dreams.”
Accusing the previous governments of encouraging corruption, he said, "Another favourite game of the earlier governments was filling their lockers. Everyone used to play together, eat together. Today, the whole game of such people has been spoiled."
Apparently referring to the SP, he said, “Earlier, the family was the government. Now, entire UP is the family of the BJP government."
