Yogi Adityanath: How priest of Gorakhpur became Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister

Born as Ajay Singh Bisht in Garhwal of the then undivided Uttar Pradesh, Yogi Adityanath had a dramatic entry in public life in Gorakhpur some 23 years ago.

It was early summer in Gorakhpur when a group of students had a brawl with a local cloth merchant, who took out his revolver at the college youths. Next day, a young priest was leading a huge rally of protesters on the streets of Gorakhpur, picketing the residence of the then Superintendent of Police.

This priest-turned-leader was Yogi Adityanath, who shot to fame in Purvanchal politics as angry young man.

INITIAL YEARS IN GORAKAPUR

Yogi Adityanath completed his graduation in science from Uttarakhand, At 22 in 1994, he was initiated by his guru Mahant Avaidyanath, who was the head priest at Goraksh Nath temple in Gorakhpur.

Those were the years when Purvanchal was trying to slip out of the grip of musclemen politicians Harishankar Tiwari and Virendra Pratap Shahi.

Yogi Adityanath appealed to the imagination of upper caste students. They saw him as a successor of Mahant Digvijaynath, who was from Gorakhpur and played pivotal role in the Chauri Chaura incident in 1921, which forced Mahatma Gandhi to call off his non-cooperation movement. A police station had been torched by a mob supposedly led by Digvijaynath, who later became the head priest of Goraksh Nath temple.

Yogi Adityanath's popularity soared further when his guru anointed him as his successor at the Goraksh Nath Math, which he has been heading since demise of Mahant Avaidyanath in 2014.

With the blessings Avaidyanath and riding on his influence in Gorakhpur, Yogi Adityanath contested the Lok Sabha elections in 1998 and got elected for the first time with margin of over 26,000 votes.

Yogi Adityanath has not lost an election since. The five-time Lok Sabha member is yet to get elected to the Uttar Pradesh Assembly.

COW PROTECTION MOVEMENT

Soon, Yogi was seen championing the cause of cows in Gorakhpur. He founded Hindu Yuva Vahini, which according to him is reformist outfit and works for betterment of villages and protection of cows.

Yogi Adityanath calls himself a gau-sevak (servant of cows) and works at the gaushala (cowshed) maintained at Goraksh Nath Math. During the Assembly election, Adityanath promised to shut down all the illegal slaughterhouses in Uttar Pradesh and to ensure that no cow is killed in abattoirs across the state.

Hindu Yuva Vahini has been in controversy over the years. It is accused of fomenting communal trouble in Purvanchal. Adityanath, himself, faces several criminal cases including those of murder, communal riots, hurting religious sentiments and attack on religious places.

But, as the activities of Hindu Yuva Vahini increased in Gorakhpur, Yogi Adityanath's popularity soared and so did his winning margins election after election. In 2014 general elections, he won Gorakhpur Lok Sabha seat by more than 3 lakh votes.

PURIFICATION AND CONVERSION DRIVES

Year 2002 was a turning point in Yogi Adityanath's political career as he emerged as a strong hardliner Hindutva leader. He was made an accused in the 2002 Mohan Mundera incident at Kushinagar district, where nearly 50 homes of Muslims were torched after a Hindu girl was allegedly raped. Opposition parties pointed fingers at Yogi Adityanath. But, he was not made an accused.

In 2005, Yogi Adityanath launched a 'purification drive' to re-convert Christians to Hinduism. Later, he claimed that he reconverted more than 5,000 people at Etah in UP. The same year, Yogi and his Hindu Yuva Vahini were accused of instigating communal violence in Mau.

RISE THROUGH CONTROVERSIES

In 2007, Yogi Adityanath launched a 'non-violent agitation' after a Hindu boy was killed when some miscreants opened fire during Moharram procession in Gorakhpur. He led a march and gave a speech vowing delivering justice despite prohibitory orders. He was arrested but his popularity touched new heights in Gorakhpur.

Later, Yogi Adityanath broke down in the Lok Sabha relating his arrest. The then Mulayam Singh Yadav government had suspended the senior police officials of Gorakhpur after the incident.

Yogi's Hindu Yuva Vahini launched retaliation after his arrest. Wide-scale violence took place in Gorakhpur, where two people lost their lives.

2014 AFTERWARDS

In 2014 parliamentary polls, Yogi Adityanath's image and influence added to Modi wave in BJP sweeping Uttar Pradesh. His contribution in Uttar Pradesh was such that many expected that Yogi would be rewarded with a cabinet berth at the Centre.

Next year, when intolerance debated was raging on social media and other platforms, Yogi Adityanath compared bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan with 26/11 terror attack accused Hafiz Saeed.

Yogi further challenged those who voiced their opposition against Surya Namaskar, the ancient morning exercise. He asked such people to 'leave India'.

During the UP Assembly election campaign, the BJP used him as star campaigner in second half of the seven-phased polls as the theatre of electoral politics shifted towards eastern part of the state.

With Modi camping in Varanasi for the final two phases, Yogi's supporters made it sure that Purvanchal delivers maximum seats to the BJP to take it past 300-mark on its own.

The Yogi And The Future of Uttar Pradesh

Typical of parts of the Media who have arrogated to themselves the right to decide for the rest of us, there were calls for the media to play the role of the opposition and some expressing concern whether certain communities will feel threatened.

It was certainly a brilliant move by the BJP. The new CM is a 5 term MP, a powerful orator with demonic energy, very young at around 45 years, a grassroots person who vibes with the electorate and is able to deliver the votes and above all represents the aspiration of the young UP electorate.

In his area of influence around Goraknath he has strong support across communities and has demonstrated his committed to welfare of citizens. UP possibly has one of the youngest populations in India, largely rural, very under governed and very diverse representing the Indian heartland.

A very poor region it has consistently grown with 17%+ of India's population at growth rates lesser than the Indian average. For the last 10 years it has seen a rule by caste based groups with development and growth on the back burner.

The new CM comes across as a person with very strong views, unafraid to speak his mind or court controversy, strongly 'Hindu' in his approach, a celibate and monk too and the head of an old 'Math'.

He has reportedly spoken against a certain minority community in the past and has several criminal cases of rioting, intimidation and violation of the law against him, many foisted against him by a hostile government which was out to finish him.

Many in the media are perplexed at his choice. But he has campaigned successfully and consolidated the Hindu vote in a caste driven society with wide support cutting across caste, gender and region. A strong person who holds his own he seems cast in the Modi mould.

For a largely lawless state a strong CM focused on governance is essential. In his first press conference he has clearly stated he would rule with a strong hand, protecting all citizens, without discrimination focused on development.

His choice shows a clear strategy by the BJP to prepare for the big Election in 2019 in what is the most crucial State for seats in Parliament. To win big in 2019 as in 2014 and 2017, a clear consolidation of the Hindu Vote cutting across caste is essential. All other parties have played the Muslim card combing with other caste groups to come to power.

The BJP has succeeded in bypassing the Muslim vote by its successful strategy. There is a strong possibility of all other political parties joining together to prevent votes splitting in 2019 and a Hindu consolidation is certainly needed if BJP has to win.

To win in 2019, the new government has to govern well till then, demonstrating economic growth, development and jobs. Rule of law, safety of life, liberty and property of all citizens specially women, the poor and vulnerable sections including the Muslims, is essential. Roads, power, water for drinking and agriculture, other infrastructure, health and education, enforcement of the rule of law and dismantling of the goonda raj, improving the quality of life, jobs and creating economic opportunities for all should be the target.

As PM Modi has done in Gujarat over the last 10 years before becoming the PM, there is no reason to suspect why the new CM will not do the same.
Power brings great responsibility and for a Yogi, a patriot and ardent nationalist who love his country, there can be no better opportunity to show his mettle as CM of UP.

This Yogi needs a different avatar to impress markets, help Modi’s image 

The appointment of Yogi Adityanath in UP is surprising for three reasons, a) in all other states, the general impression was that Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and other ideological forces have not been able to dictate terms to Modi and Shah but the case of UP looks different, b) it may not have been deliberate, but the general view was that the BJP central leadership didn’t choose a mass leader in other states, which also is not the case with Yogi Adityanath, who has huge following the BJP was more interested in choosing a non-controversial figure in other states so that the CMs are not carrying a huge political and image-linked baggage and this too is not the case with UP. 

Though it would be unfair to have a negative view on his administrative capabilities because the data points available are not sufficient at this stage, Yogi Adityanath’s appointment is certainly a negative surprise for the markets. The current image of new UP Chief Minister is unlikely to inspire huge confidence among investors, especially among foreign institutions because at this moment, Yogi Adityanath would not seem like someone who can build consensus and can take everyone along. At best, Yogi belonged to the category of “fringe elements” in the BJP, but his taking centre stage is likely to disappoint the markets that rejoiced after Modi’s landslide victory in the recently-concluded assembly elections, especially the unprecedented mandate that the party got in UP. 

And that is something investors won’t be happy about. It is neither fair nor wise to write someone off without giving a proper opportunity, but unfortunately that looks like a case with how markets may react to the appointment of Yogi Adityanath. Even if he is ultimately able to prove himself, there is no doubt that he would need to work doubly hard and it would also require an altogether different avatar of Yogi.