It is only ‘natural’ if people talk about CM Yogi Adityanath being a future Prime Ministerial candidate. These words have come directly from the Union Home Minister Amit Shah, in what seems like the biggest endorsement for the Uttar Pradesh CM to date.
Home Minister Amit Shah hints at Yogi being India’s future PM
During an interview with Indian Express, Union Home Minister Amit Shah was asked, “There are some who mention Adityanath as a future prime ministerial candidate.”
Shah replied, “Naturally. So much work has been done under him, after so many years. UP got 30 medical colleges… we will see to it that every district has one. The state has two AIIMS while a research centre for Japanese encephalitis has also been constructed. The BJP government has built 10 new universities, opened 77 new colleges. Our government has also reconstructed and redeveloped 1.40 lakh colleges across Uttar Pradesh.”
Now, normally politicians tend to beat around the bush on being asked such questions. However, Home Minister Amit Shah’s reply is pretty straightforward, which hints at the party’s plans to shape up the UP Chief Minister for the top post.
CM Yogi must win in 2022 for PM Modi to win in 2024
Shah also drew a direct link between the 2022 Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls and the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
He was asked, “Last October, in your first UP campaign speech, you said if people wanted Narendra Modi to return as Prime Minister in 2024, they should ensure Yogi Adityanath wins in 2022. Why this link?”
Shah replied, “I did not say that. What I said was the route to Delhi is via Lucknow. Since Uttar Pradesh has 80 seats in the Lok Sabha, it’s very important for the BJP to be in power in Uttar Pradesh to return to power in 2024… If anyone wants to form a government with full majority at the Centre, it cannot be without Uttar Pradesh’s mandate.”
Shah’s reply however makes it clear that as the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, CM Yogi Adityanath does fit in at the centre of the national narrative and this is exactly why we hear all the talk about the UP Chief Minister being India’s future PM candidate.
Is Yogi being groomed for the top post?
Shah showered praise on Yogi’s performance as the Uttar Pradesh CM. He said, “Yogi Adityanath has led an exemplary life and he has done great work on law and order. It has improved so well in Uttar Pradesh and it has become an election issue. There is an impressive improvement: 30-70 per cent drop in cases of robbery, dacoity, rape, etc. The state never had such good roads – Ghaziabad to Ganga, Gorakhpur to Agra, every region in the state is connected to an Expressway. After 22 years, the state has started getting electricity for more than 12 hours.”
CM Yogi Adityanath ticks all boxes when it comes to emerging as the future PM of the country. He enjoys immense political popularity, he is a proven performer with an impressive track record and he commands great oratorical skills.
Last year, an iconic photo of Prime Minister Modi and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath went viral on social media. The message emerging from the photo was very clear- the PM trusts Yogi Aditynath, and is grooming him for succession. “We have embarked on a journey. We have dedicated our everything and pledged to build a new India which will touch heights beyond the sky, with new light,” tweeted CM Yogi Adityanath in Hindi.
Read more: A Heartwarming Modi-Yogi Pic looks like a righteous King training his worthy successor
It is therefore most likely that CM Yogi Adityanath is being groomed for the top post. In fact, with the Union Home Minister himself hinting at CM Yogi being India’s future Prime Minister, CM Yogi seems to have cemented his place as the front-runner for the top post once PM Modi leaves office.