UTTAR PRADESH IS a crucial test for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. It has been 10 years since Modi became Varanasi’s MP. The constituency has elected him twice, and he has rewarded it with the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor, besides consecrating the Ram Temple in Ayodhya. Modi has not just carved his place in history, but also cemented support from his core constituency.
“Modi’s entry into Kashi was marked by enthusiasm among people. The second time, it turned into trust. This time, when Modi went to Varanasi, there were scenes of reverence,” said a BJP office-bearer.
The BJP’s ‘double engine’ slogan is most visible in UP. Yogi has his stamp on the administration, particularly law and order. The police have had a free hand in reining in crime, and the deployment of bulldozers to deliver ‘instant justice’ has had other BJP-ruled states replicating it. The poll outcome would be a referendum on Yogi’s seven-year rule.
“On one side, we have PM Modi with his vision, commitment and strong implementation,” said BJP spokesperson Gopal Krishna Agarwal. “Yogi has also ushered in transformation, improved law and order, created infrastructure and enhanced spiritual tourism—be it in Kashi, Ayodhya and now Mathura…. The world needs a strong leader who could address global geopolitical challenges. It is Modi, and UP is electing him again.”
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
William Dalrymple goes further back
Indian readers have long known William Dalrymple as the chronicler nonpareil of India in the early years of the British raj. His latest book, The Golden Road, is a striking departure, since it takes him to a period from about the third century BC to the 12th-13th centuries CE.
The bleat from the street
What with all the apps delivering straight to one’s doorstep, the supermarkets, the food halls and even the occasional (super-expensive) pop-up thela (cart) offering the woke from field-to-fork option, the good old veggie-market/mandi has fallen off my regular beat.
Courage and conviction
Justice A.M. Ahmadi's biography by his granddaughter brings out behind-the-scenes tension in the Supreme Court as it dealt with the Babri Masjid demolition case
EPIC ENTERPRISE
Gowri Ramnarayan's translation of Ponniyin Selvan brings a fresh perspective to her grandfather's magnum opus
Upgrade your jeans
If you don’t live in the top four-five northern states of India, winter means little else than a pair of jeans. I live in Mumbai, where only mad people wear jeans throughout the year. High temperatures and extreme levels of humidity ensure we go to work in mulmul salwars, cotton pants, or, if you are lucky like me, wear shorts every day.
Garden by the sea
When Kozhikode beach became a fertile ground for ideas with Manorama Hortus
RECRUITERS SPEAK
Industry requirements and selection criteria of management graduates
MORAL COMPASS
The need to infuse ethics into India's MBA landscape
B-SCHOOLS SHOULD UNDERSTAND THAT INDIAN ECONOMY IS GOING TO WITNESS A TREMENDOUS GROWTH
INTERVIEW - Prof DEBASHIS CHATTERJEE, director, Indian Institute of Management, Kozhikode
COURSE CORRECTION
India's best b-schools are navigating tumultuous times. Hurdles include lower salaries offered to their graduates and students misusing AI
