An event soaked in saffron for all to see
LUCKNOW: In eastern UP, they say that it’s not Yogi Adityanath who needs the BJP to win elections, but it is the BJP which needs him. The saying came alive in Lucknow on Sunday when the party put its might behind making Yogi’s coronation an event not to be forgotten soon.
It was a splash of saffron to the last point up to the sprawling Smriti Upvan, which had a huge and surging crowd of over one lakh ranting pro-Modi and pro-Yogi slogans. Of course, the narrative of the slogans has changed after the anointment of the Mahant as UP CM.
As thousands of BJP supporters and party workers started arriving hours in advance at Smriti Upvan, the venue of the swearing-in ceremony was turned into a fort with four crossings and 12 turnings around it barricaded.
Heavy contingents of CISF, BSF and CMPF were deployed around the venue owing to the presence of a galaxy of VVIPs, including PM Modi, BJP chief Amit Shah, 10 chief ministers of the BJP, its allies and a battery of senior Cabinet ministers.
There were rows of over 10,000 vehicles parked all along the roads leading to Smriti Upvan in the run up to the mega BJP show.
In a clear and welcome departure from the tradition being followed in UP for the last 15 years wherein political adversaries (SP-BSP) did not attend the swearing-in ceremony of the new CM, former chief minister Akhilesh Yadav along with his father and SP patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav attended the event throwing all the poll bitterness and political rivalry behind them. Both father-son duo got a warm welcome by team BJP and they were also seen reciprocating in the same spirit.
Besides, the BJP stalwarts and veteran members of party’s margdarshak mandal-LK Advani and Dr MM Joshi- had also made their presence registered on the stage along with Union Minister Uma Bharti, the three leading lights of Ram Janbhoomi movement, reviving the memories late 80s. Very much in tune with the ambience painted in saffron and reverberatingwith the pro-Hindutva slogans, PM Modi and new CM Yogi waved to the surging crowd soon on climbing the stage to 'har-har Modi..ghar ghar yogi' slogans. Bang opposite to stage were the dignitaries ensconced in the comfy couches adding gleam to the BJP show.
Having romped home with an incredible win with 325 of 403 seats in its and its allies’ kitty followed by this gala show of Yogi’s enthronement sends out a loud message that the BJP was in no mood to dilute its Hindutva agenda at least in the near future.