Who is Adityanath, the man speculated to be Modi’s successor?
With Uttar Pradesh legislative assembly elections beginning, speculation is on whether Yogi Adityanath, the incumbent chief minister of the state, will be reelected to make a stronger bid to succeed Narendra Modi.
From being a priest in centuries-old Gorakhnath temple to becoming a lawmaker for five terms and then becoming the CM of Uttar Pradesh, it has been a meteoric rise for Adityanath, our New Delhi correspondent reports.
Since his appointment by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as the UP chief minister in 2017, Adityanath (49) has stirred controversy for his incendiary anti-Muslim rhetoric, and speculations of being Modi's successor.
Political analysts say the massive electoral mandate that BJP got in the previous assembly polls in 2017 to reclaim power in the state after 15 years might have helped the saffron party overcome caste concerns and carry forward its agenda of Hindutva and development.
In fact, a strong win in the ongoing legislative elections could put him in pole position to succeed Prime Minister Modi. The results of the elections will be announced on March 10.
Uttar Pradesh is the most populous Indian state and home to over 200 million people -- more than the entire population of Brazil.
Adityanath, born as Ajay Mohan Bisht on June 5, 1972 in Pauri Garhwal of Uttarakhand (now a separate state carved out of Uttar Pradesh), has often been dubbed a poster boy of hardline Hindutva.
Others see him as a monk who presides over India's biggest state that battles to shed the dubious tag of being one of the most backward regions of the country.
A protégé of Modi, Adityanath has soared in popularity beyond Uttar Pradesh, thanks to his fiery speeches and projection as a tough, no-nonsense administrator.
"He is brazenly open about his Hindu politics and ideology... He has projected himself as a Hindu leader and that's what brings him crowds and votes," journalist and political commentator Sunita Aron told AFP.
Being in the office as the Uttar Pradesh CM has done nothing to temper his views, and as he seeks a second term he continues to exhort Hindu voters to back the BJP while riding roughshod over Muslims, although they make up one-fifth of the state's population.
In the run-up to the polls, the saffron-clad monk did not mince his words, saying it would be a fight between "80 percent and 20 percent", referring to the state's demographic split on religion.
"They are worshippers of Jinnah", he tweeted last month, referring to Mohammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of India's archrival neighbour Pakistan.
"Pakistan is dear to them; we sacrifice our life for Maa Bharati (Mother India)."
Hours before the first phase of polling in western UP region began, Adityanath released a video cautioning the electorate against voting for his rivals saying the "terrorists" would take over the state if BJP lost the polls.
"The terrorists are threatening... be careful... five years of my hard work will be ruined if you commit a mistake," he said in the video.
"Don't let UP become Kashmir, Bengal or Kerala this time....your vote is not only your blessing for me but also a guarantee of fear free life for the next five years," Adityanath added.
While studying mathematics at university, Adityanath became an activist in the student wing of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), a right-wing Hindu organisation considered the ideological fountainhead of the BJP.
After graduating, he became a priest of Gorakhnath Temple and at the same time joined politics.
At only 26, he was elected to parliament for the first time in 1998.
Along the way, he founded a vigilante youth group named 'Hindu Yuva Vahini' which regularly rough up Muslims accused of slaughtering cows or "love jihad" -- a term used to accuse Muslim men of seducing Hindu women in order to force them to convert, AFP reported.
Adityanath has several criminal cases pending against him in various courts. In 2007, he spent 11 days in jail for trying to foment communal tension.
After taking the reins as CM, Adityanath announced curbs on slaughterhouses and on the use of loudspeakers for the Muslim call to prayer, fuelling an atmosphere of fear and intimidation.
According to Indian media reports, more than 100 alleged criminals were extra-judicially killed by police in Uttar Pradesh under Adityanath's administration, most of them Muslims or low-caste Dalits.
He, however, denies the allegation.
It is often said that the road to power in India invariably goes through Uttar Pradesh as it has 80 Lok Sabha seats, the highest number for any state. Hence, whichever party rules UP also governs India, and as such, UP has been the mainstay of the BJP's victory in successive parliamentary polls in 2014 and 2019.
A section of political observers has speculated that Adityanath is being groomed to succeed Modi. A main reason for this is that he had been an integral part of BJP's electioneering campaign in assembly elections for several states, including West Bengal.
Within the party as well, Adityanath is seen as a possible successor to Modi, who is 20 years his senior.
"It's too early to say about his role in the future. But it's clear that he is second only to Modi," a BJP member told AFP, requesting anonymity.
"It may be a bit premature but of course he is a contender for the prime minister's job."
A strong showing in the ongoing elections will bolster that status.
However, Adityanath is up against history. No chief minister of Uttar Pradesh has returned to power since 1985.
Will he lead the BJP to change the course of history? A lot will depend on by how much consolidation of Muslim votes will happen and how successful BJP will be in effecting a counter-consolidation of Hindu votes cutting across caste divides.
A split in Muslim votes, which remained divided largely between Samajwadi Party and BSP in 2017 assembly poll and 2019 Lok Sabha elections, would help BJP, particularly in western and eastern parts of the state that are highly susceptible to polarisation.
Adityanath faces a stern test of his record as chief minister while the BJP confronts the challenge of persisting with him with the wholehearted backing of Modi-Shah duo.
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