In a recent interview with the Indian Express, Home Minister Amit Shah has heaped praises on Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath as the Assembly Elections 2022 are in progress. While praising Adityanath for his commendable leadership to the state, he highlighted that good governance, development and the democratic credentials of the party will increase its winnability in the assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh.
Amit Shah did not mince any words while counting the achievements of the Yogi government. “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.” he added
In 2017, when BJP set out to contest the assembly elections without a CM face, it was riding big on the Modi wave against the incumbent administration led by Akhilesh Yadav. Five years later, Yogi Adityanath has emerged as a name synonymous with the brand of Uttar Pradesh.
Talking about the merits of the double-engine ki sarkar (driven by Modi and Yogi), Shah added, “This time, our strength has improved. Modiji is still there. Along with him, we have what the Yogi government has done for Uttar Pradesh in the last five years. There are many more advantages to the BJP. So, I consider ourselves stronger.”
The BJP’s master strategy to bring caste consensus under the umbrella of Hindutva has been talked about much during the election season. While the BJP chants “Jaati dharm se uth kar badaya hai Samman, sabse Pehle Garib Kalyan” in its election rallies, it also faces cracks within its consolidated OBC vote. Talking about this the HM added, “No caste group has drifted away from us. Some leaders have walked away. In Uttar Pradesh, no one can claim ownership of votes of any particular community. Every voter decides individually.”
On the contested issue of the job sector, Amit Shah added, “Do not look at the job sector like Communists, who consider only government jobs as employment. This is not correct. There is a difference between jobs and employment. We have improved the employment situation. It’s natural that people talk about jobs. But you have to understand the difference – there are so many startups, we have improved the e-marketing opportunities,”
Amit Shah has also underlined that no major loss has been faced by the BJP with the exit of some senior leaders in UP. He added that the candidates have been changed but the strategy hasn’t while calling the drifting away of leaders a ‘normal’ exercise in electoral democracy.
When asked about the Samajwadi Party’s symbol (cycle) being linked with terrorism in a rally by PM Modi, he refuted, “How can you deny the fact that he (the Akhilesh government) released those who were charged under anti-terrorism laws, and that the Allahabad High Court intervened?”
He stated categorically that the BJP doesn’t call any party anti-national. “But if any party indulges in supporting anti-nationals, we will expose them. It’s our responsibility. If any government withdraws cases against terrorists, we will call it anti-national,” he specified.
While concluding, he heaped praise on the Yogi-led government stating that his party is confident of a victory in UP. “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.” From Governance to infrastructure to welfare, he committed to having fulfilled 92 per cent of the promises made in the 2017 manifesto.