BJP drafts more Yogi visits in non-BJP states
LUCKNOW: Following the hype his three political rallies in Trinamool Congress ruled West Bengal generated, two of which he had to address on phone, the BJP has now decided to get Yogi Adityanath to tour some more ‘difficult’ non-BJP ruled states ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.
While the itinerary is still being drafted, the states Adityanath is likely to visits are Kerala and Odisha. He is also tipped to visit Bihar, where BJP shares power with Nitish Kumar’s JD (U), and BJP-ruled Uttarakhand, states where the Congress is looking to make an impact.
Ahead of most of his tours, Adityanath has in the past engaged non-BJP chief ministers in verbal battle on twitter. Ahead of his West Bengal visit on Tuesday,
› Yogi is following party leadership’s plan. He speaks without fear or favor and hence is widely respected MRITYUNJAY KUMAR, CM’s advisor
he had posted series of tweets accusing Mamata Banerjee of vendetta, violence and corruption. In October 2017 when he had visited Kerala last, his remarks on Kerala’s healthcare system had got chief minister Pinnarai Vijayan all worked up. A year later, he engaged with the then Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah, sparring with him on social media after raising the issue of farmer suicides.
“Opposition chief ministers can’t behave as if they own the state as was the case in West Bengal. So whether in Kerala or Odisha, Yogi is surely going to fire on all cylinders,” UP BJP leader Chandramohan said. Yogi will visit Bihar on February 7 followed by one in party-ruled Uttarakhand on February 9.
These would be followed by what a party leader said, “relatively difficult” political tours of Kerala and Odisha. Kerala
visit will be on February 12 and 14 while Odisha tour on February 20. In all these places, Yogi is expected to give a pep talk to the cadre, an exercise through which the party is hoping to charge the foot soldiers ahead of the LS polls.
“Yogi is following the party leadership’s plan. He speaks without fear or favor and hence is widely respected by most,” said Mrityunjay Kumar, Adityanath’s advisor.
In Kerala, Yogi is slated to address booth cadres in Pathanamthitta district that is famous for its natural beauty and temples, the most popular being the Sabarimala temple. It is still not clear if Yogi would visit Sabarimala that was at the centre of controversy following protests from Hindu bodies over allowing menstruating women to enter the temple. BJP leaders indicated that sending Yogi to select important non-BJP ruled states was part of the party’s plan to make an impression in over 120 Lok Sabha seats spread across states like West Bengal, Odisha, Kerala, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.
“Yogi is expected to visit most of these states promising the people ‘Modi, security and BJP’s policy of appeasement of none and development for all,” a BJP leader said. The party’s cadres in all the states have been asked to ensure ‘good turnout’ for Yogi visits, a party leader added.