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BIG STORY JANUARY 21, 2022 | The Indian Eye 4

Uttar PradesH elections

Yogi on weak wicket?

the pre-poll churning in Uttar Pradesh sees the bJP getting a jolt with six legislators resigning

from the party and three ministers quitting to join samajwadi Party led by akhilesh yadav

OUR BUREAU
Lucknow/New Delhi
utting all speculations to rest,
the Bharatiya Janata Party
P(BJP) on Saturday announced
that Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister
Yogi Adityanath will contest from his
stronghold Gorakhpur which elect-
ed him to Lok Sabha for five straight
terms till 2017.
The BJP fielded deputy chief min-
ister Keshav Prasad Maurya from Sir-
athu constituency in Prayagraj while
minister Shrikant Sharma will contest
from Mathura. There was speculation
earlier that Adityanath, who never
contested Assembly elections before,
could contest either from Ayodhya
or Mathura. Notably, the BJP won
the 2017 elections winning over 300
seats in 403-member Uttar Pradesh
Assembly without announcing a chief
ministerial face. Adityanath, who had
played a crucial role in the BJP’s poll Rajnath Singh, Nitin Gadkari, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath along with others wave to supporters at the inauguration and founda-
campaign, took over as the chief min-
ister of Uttar Pradesh on March 26, tion stone laying of several infrastructure projects including Kanpur-Lucknow Expressway, in Lucknow (ANI Photo)
2017.
Adityanath had fought the gen- be held on February 10, 14, 20, 23, 27 uary 16 and there will be joining every Wednesday. Dharam Singh Saini be-
eral election for the first time in 1998 and March 3 and 7 in seven phases. day. The program was inside the par- came the third minister on Thursday.
from Gorakhpur when he was 26 and The counting of votes will take place ty office and all of us were following Samajwadi Party has stitched a coali-
became the youngest MP in the 12th on March 10. COVID protocols.” tion of smaller parties for the assem-
Lok Sabha. He is the head priest of But Yogi Adityanath is facing a The SP leader further said that bly polls and has emerged as the main
the Gorakhnath temple in the city. He massive challenge from within the we are planning to send BJP to exile, rival of the ruling BJP in the state.
took over this position in September party. just like 14 years ago, before 2017. Along with the former Ministers,
2014 after the death of his spiritual In a shocking move, former Ut- “On March 10, when election re- the sitting MLAs Bhagwati Sagar,
“father”, Mahant Avaidhnath. tar Pradesh Minister Swami Prasad sults will be announced, BJP will be Vinay Shakya, Roshan Lal Verma,
The people of Gorakhpur have Maurya, who resigned this week from cleared from UP and SP will form the Mukesh Verma and Brajesh Kumar
a strong connect with the sitting chief the Yogi Adityanath government and government,” said Maurya. Prajapati have also joined SP. Apna
minister for his image as a priest and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party After quitting as a minister, Dha- Dal MLA Chaudhary Amar Singh,
a politician. According to the sources (BJP) ahead of the Assembly polls, ram Singh Saini met Samajwadi Party Former BSP MLA Neeraj Kushawa-
in the BJP, Adityanath has been as- on Friday said that former state cab- president Akhilesh Yadav. “I wel- ha Maurya, former BJP MLC Har-
signed the responsibility of the Gora- inet Minister Dara Singh Chauhan come him to the Samajwadi Party,” pal Saini, former BSP MLA Balram
khpur (Urban) seat keeping all these will join the Samajwadi Party (SP) on Yadav said. Saini, former BJP MLA Rajendra
things in consideration. Sunday. The spate of resignations began Pratap Singh, former Minister of
Elections for the 403 assembly Dara Singh Chauhan had re- with Swami Prasad Maurya quitting State Vidrohi Maurya, former Chief
constituencies in Uttar Pradesh will signed as minister from the Uttar the cabinet. Maurya, a prominent Security Officer Padam Singh and
be held in seven phases starting Feb- Pradesh Cabinet on Wednesday. leader from the OBC community, had former Congress MLA Bansi Singh
ruary 10, the Election Commission Maurya said, “As per the strategy, joined the BJP from BSP. Dara Singh Pahadiya joined the party.
said. The polling in Uttar Pradesh will Dara Singh Chauhan will join on Jan- Chauhan had resigned as minister on Continued at next page... >>

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