Hope, unease across UP after Yogi Adityanath coronation

Lucknow: There is hope in eastern Uttar Pradesh (UP), and a sense of unease in the rest of the state after controversial BJP leader Yogi Adityanath was announced as the new chief minister. There is also an element of apprehension within the BJP.

Adityanath, the Mahant of the Goraksh Peeth in Gorakhpur, is already known for his philanthropic work, including running a 350-bed hospital that is open for all, irrespective of caste and religion, as well as a children’s care centre.

His associates claim that the Yogi’s administrative skills have been perfectly honed as he has been managing various projects of the Goraksh Peeth and makes sure that there are no lapses.

Many in Purvanchal are now confident that the area will get much-needed development because Yogi Adityanath is familiar with the problems of the region, and has always focused his politics on this region.

With Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union home minister Rajnath Singh and now the chief minister all belonging to Purvanchal, development cannot and will not be allowed to take a back seat any longer, many believe.

However, the sense of unease in the rest of Uttar Pradesh is also palpable, and the reason for this is that Yogi Adityanath has only been known for his controversial communal statements, whether it is equating Shah Rukh Khan with Hafiz Saeed or putting Kairana at par with Kashmir, or his views on “love jihad” and “ghar vapsi”. The Yogi also hit the headlines when he changed Muslim-sounding names of places in Gorakhpur.