Two years after Yogi Adityanath became Uttar Pradesh chief minister, the state continues to lag in employment generation, stray cattle have annoyed farmers, roads remain riddled with potholes and questions about the many police encounters that happened soon after his ascension have become louder. The bright spot of his rule, so far, has been the glitch-free organisation of the Kumbh Mela.
With the Lok Sabha elections entering the final phase, there are whispers that his once safe seat of Gorakhpur is shaky, which explains the inordinate time he has spent here campaigning for the BJP candidate, Bhojpuri actor Ravi Kishan. The BJP’s showing in the 80 seats will be key in deciding the future of the controversial leader. Excerpts from an interview:
How do you place the BJP after six phases of polling?
Our calculations remain the same as they were before the election. The BJP will win 74 plus seats in Uttar Pradesh. In the country, the BJP on its own will win 300 seats and 400 plus with its allies.
Are you looking at new allies?
The existing members of the National Democratic Alliance will get these numbers.
How do you look at the BSP-SP alliance?
The public perception about the Samajwadi Party is that whenever it is in power in the state, there is largescale lawlessness and goondagardi (hooliganism). Whenever the BSP has been in power, it has only given rise to corruption, disorder and unpleasantness. Today, the BSP-SP combine is most worried about the fact that the BJP has taken away its core vote bank. The largest benefits of schemes have gone to (their core voter). Those who do the politics of caste and nepotism are failing.
Do you see a role for the Congress in the state, especially after the entry of Priyanka Gandhi Vadra?
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Trump And The Crisis Of Liberalism
Although Donald Trump's election to a non-consecutive second term to the US presidency is not unprecedented—Grover Cleveland had done it in 1893—it is nevertheless a watershed moment.
What Will It Take To Clean Up Delhi Air?
IT IS ASKED, year after year, why Delhi’s air remains unbreathable despite several interventions to reduce pollution.
Men eye the woman's purse
A couple of months ago, I chanced upon a young 20-something man at my gym walking out with a women’s sling bag.
When trees hold hands
A filmmaker explores the human-nature connect through the living root bridges
Ms Gee & Gen Z
The vibrant Anuja Chauhan and her daughter Nayantara on the generational gap in romance writing
Vikram Seth-a suitable man
Our golden boy of literature was the star attraction at the recent Shillong Literary Festival in mysterious Meghalaya.
Superman bites the dust
When my granddaughter Kim was about three, I often took her to play in a nearby park.
OLD MAN AND THE SEA
Meet G. Govinda Menon, the 102-year-old engineer who had a key role in surveying the Vizhinjam coast in the 1940s, assessing its potential for an international port
Managing volatility: smarter equity choices in uncertain markets
THE INDIAN STOCK MARKET has delivered a strong 11 per cent CAGR over the past decade, with positive returns for eight straight years.
Investing in actively managed low-volatility portfolios keeps risks at bay
AFTER A ROARING bull market over the past year, equity markets in the recent months have gone into a correction mode as FIIs go on a selling spree. Volatility has risen and investment returns are hurt.
