LUCKNOW: In eastern UP, they say it’s not Yogi Adityanath who needs BJP to win elections, but it’s BJP who needs him. The saying came true again in Lucknow on Friday, when the party threw its weight behind making Yogi’s coronation an event not to be forgotten in a hurry.
It was a splash of saffron at the Bharat Ratna Atal Bihari Vajpayee Stadium, which had a crowd of over 70,000 shouting ‘Modi’ and ‘Yogi’ slogans.
As thousands of BJP supporters and workers started arriving hours in advance, heavy contingents of CISF, BSF and CMPF were deployed.
There was a galaxy of VVIPs, including PM Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and chief ministers of BJP-ruled states, its allies and a battery of cabinet ministers.
Adityanath had invited over 50 priests and seers, including prominent members of the Ram Janmabhoomi Trust, which is overseeing the construction of the temple in Ayodhya, as well as priests from Varanasi, Mathura and Vrindavan.
Calling it nothing less than a festival, the saints and seers, who had thronged the venue in large numbers, said attending the swearing-in ceremony was a matter of pride.
A rainbow of UP’s cultural heritage was on display with singers, dancers and folk artistes gathering in large numbers. Big names of Bhojpuri cinema including Ravi Kishan, BJP’s Gorakhpur MP, Dinesh Lal Yadav Niruah enthralled the public with their colourful performances.
Cabinet ministers in yogi government 2.0
The new ministry in Uttar Pradesh has a remarkable balance of caste and region. Two cabinet berths for allies complete the balancing act. The oldest cabinet minister is 71 and the youngest 42. Just one woman among cabinet ministers
Yogi Adityanath (CM, 47)
Graduate/Thakur
The face of Hindutva politics. Popular across the community. Surprise pick as CM in 2017. The unanimous choice this time
