After registering a historic win in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand assembly polls, BJP’s parliamentary board will meet on Sunday to select the chief ministers for both states under the chairmanship of party chief Amit Shah.
As many as four leaders are in the fray for chief ministerial post in Uttar Pradesh. Besides, state party chief Keshav Maurya, hardliner Gorakpur MP Yogi Adityanath and telecom minister Manoj Sinha, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh also being discussed as a possibility.
The massive mandate has provided more option for PM Modi and Amit Shah to consider candidates with grass root connect and the ability to accelerate the implementation of development schemes in tandem with Centre.
However, reports say Rajnath has shown less interest for the coveted job.
Keshav Prasad Maurya, who comes from the VHP stock, belongs to Most Backward Caste. UP has never seen a MBC chief minister in the past. Mentored under Ashok Singhal, Maurya became the face of of BJP’s non-Yadav backward votes. He is well-regarded by the party president who was the man in charge for the LS campaign in UP.
Telecom Minister Manoj Sinha is also in the fray for the chief ministerial post. An engineer by training and former president of BHU Students’ Union, Sinha is considered to be Modi’s favorite for his grounded nature. He belongs to UP’s less dominant Bhumihar community. When dominant communities slug it out, Caste neutrality at times is an asset in identity politics.
Last but not the least is the firebrand BJP MP Yogi Adityanath, who has a strong presence in Gorakhpur. The head of Gorakhnath temple is within both Shah and Modi’s zone of consideration because of his commitment to the Hindutva cause.
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