Modi party picks hardliner to lead most populous state
Yogi Adityanath is accused of inciting violence against India’s Muslim minority
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) picked hardliner Yogi Adityanath, who has been accused of inciting violence against India’s Muslim minority, to lead its most populous state after his party won a landslide victory last week.
Adityanath’s appointment to lead Uttar Pradesh was denounced by opposition party members. But BJP officials said Adityanath, who will take
charge today, was the appropriate leader for the state.
“This is a watershed moment in the history of BJP,” Venkaiah Naidu, Federal Information & Broadcasting Minister said after BJP officials met in Lucknow yesterday. “The mandate is for development,
good governance and against caste politics.” Modi’s BJP won control of the state a week ago, earning the biggest majority there for any party since 1977, after the Prime Minister pitched himself as a man on the side of the poor.
Uttar Pralesh Chief Minister-designate Yogi Adityanath will be axon in on thb afternoon. Union Infomation and broadcasting Minister M. Venkalah Nadu said in Lucknow yesterday. Prime Minister Narendra Moth and Bharattya Janata Party (EUP) president Amtt Shah are expected to attend the oath-taking ceremony here, Naldu told reporters. RIP state chief Keihav Prasad Maurya and lucknow Mawir [Mesh Sharma will be sworn In as deputy chief ministers. Earlier, Ina move that sur-prised many, the 44-year-old the-term SIP from Gorakhpur was elected the LIP Inish-ture party leader at a meeting of the newly elected MLAs a week after the RIP won a re-sounding three-fourth major-ity In the key Hindi heartland state, making a comeback to power after IS years. Maurya, who was himself In contention for the top job, first announced Adityanath's election. Maurya, the MP MOM Phulpur In Allahabad, be the deputy ebb( minister apart from senior RIP leader Dinesh Sharma. Later, addressing the me-dia, Naldu, wino along with WP general secretary Bltupendra Yadav was present at the meet- Ing as central observer for the election, said that Adttyanattrs name was proposed by Suresh Khanna, at eight -tenn and seconded by 10 ethers, %Wu said even after the pro-paml was made, he asked tie 111 newly e,tectecl MIAs tf they wanted to propose anybody else for the post, but they all backed Adttyanath unanimously. Natio sakl May-math that said he needed PM deputy chief ministers to assist him in the gigantic task toDowigg which It was decided that Ntaurya awl Shama %%mkt hold the posts. As the meeting was about hc begin, an element of surprise gripped the tenue when AdIly anath machect Ink Rtuwan np posge the Imposing Assembh complex. Midway through the meeting, Shama was aslwd attend the deaberatioth. Interestingly, none of the three Is a legislator in Uttar Pradesh. As soon as It was de-cided that the saffron-robed Corakhpur MP will hold the relnsof the state, party leaders and MIAs rushed to the dais with sweets and garlands. Adityanath will be the 21st chief =Micro( Uttar Pradesh and the fourth from the saffron party He has had a firatnecl relationship with the RIP for more than a decade. With the emergence of a separate power base In east-ern Uttar Pradesh, he has been seeking greater power, causing further conflict.