IIT-BHU alumnus Manoj Sinha is PM Modi's pick for UP CM?

Merit is the only criteria for PM Modi.

New Delhi: Tasked with the responsibility of meeting the expectations of the people of Uttar Pradesh, Prime Minister Narendra Modi may repose faith in Union Minister of State for Railways and Communications Manoj Sinha as his choice for the next Chief Minister of the state.

While an official announcement on who will be the CM is expected tomorrow when the legislative party will meet in Lucknow, media reports suggest that PM Modi and BJP president Amit Shah are unanimous in given 'Mr Clean' Sinha the high-profile job.

By selecting an upper caste Bhumihar in Sinha as the man to lead the BJP in a caste-conscious UP, PM Modi appears to be once again asserting that the only criteria that drive such decisions are merit and caliber and not caste considerations.

The PM, with his mantra of 'Sabka ka Saath, Sabka Vikas', wants delivery on the ground while also ensuring that all sections of the society get equal rights in the development story of the state.

Known as a quiet doer, Sinha had earned PM's trust by his the professional manner in which he handled the railway portfolio, where he reportedly was the man in charge of day-to-day operations while Suresh Prabhu worked on taking the railways to the next level. The good work eventually ensured that he also got the independent charge of the ministry of communication.

A native of Ghazipur, Sinha cut his teeth in politics as the president of the BHU students union in the early 1980s but his big break came only in the nineties when he was elected to the Lok Sabha for the first time. He became a member of the lower house of Parliament two more times, including his current tenure as MP from Ghazipur.

What also appears to have worked in Sinha's favour is his image of a man 'with no enemies'. He is equally comfortable with all factions of the party in the state. A personal connect with UP BJP stalwart Rajnath Singh also appears to have played a role in tilting the scale in his favour.

It needs to be mentioned here that Rajnath himself was said to be in the race to be CM at one point before he decided to stay put in Delhi and strengthen the party at the central level ahead of the 2019 battle.