UP assembly polls 2022: Five reasons why BJP plans to field Yogi Adityanath from Ayodhya

According to sources, Yogi Adityanath is likely to be fielded from Ayodhya and his name could appear on the first list to be released by the party soon. Here are five reasons why BJP plans to field CM Yogi from Ayodhya.

NEW DELHI: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath - a ‘Hindutva’ poster boy of the BJP - is most likely to contest the upcoming Uttar Pradesh Assembly election 2022 from the holy town of Ayodhya.

According to sources, Yogi Adityanath is likely to be fielded from Ayodhya and his name could appear on the first list to be released by the party soon. On the second day of the three-day meeting of the Bharatiya Janata Party Core Committee on Uttar Pradesh, the names of the candidates for nearly 175 Assembly seats have been finalised, sources in the party said.

The BJP has scrutinized the candidates for more than 300 Assembly seats of Uttar Pradesh in the meeting. Deliberation will continue on the names of the candidates on Thursday, the last day of the meeting, said sources. The BJP`s 24-member Uttar Pradesh election committee met on Monday in Lucknow and deliberated on the names of probable candidates for 113 constituencies that will go to the polls in the first two phases of the seven-phase Assembly elections that begin on February 10.

Here are five reasons why BJP plans to field CM Yogi from Ayodhya: -

1. Ram Mandir

Ayodhaya checks many boxes as the ongoing construction of the Ram temple has boosted the political profile of the ruling BJP. Ayodhya is the nerve centre of the Sangh Pariwar and has given the BJP the much-needed impetus after the Supreme Court’s verdict paved the way for the construction of Ram Temple in Ayodhya, ending the 500-year-old dispute with Muslim parties. 

It also has a close association with the Gorakhsnath Peeth, the monastic seat Yogi Adityanath belongs to. Both his gurus - Mahant Avaidyanath and his guru Mahant Digvijaynath - were the spearheads of the Ram Temple movement during their times. Mahant Digvijaynath played a leading role in the Ram Janmabhoomi movement in 1949. 

2. Hindutva Icon  

If Adityanath is fielded from there, then it may boost the BJP’s Hindutva ideology in the region, including parts of the neighbouring Poorvanchal. It allows the Chief Minister to capitalise on and further consolidate his identity as BJP’s Hindutva icon. 

3. Impact on Awadh

The ancient holy temple town of Ayodhya falls in the Awadh region, where Samajwadi Party has been traditionally strong. Yogi Adityanath contesting from Ayodhya will also have a big impact on all the assembly segments in the Awadh region and it will be beneficial for the BJP. Awadh region includes Gonda, Balrampur, Bahraich, Barabanki, Ayodhya, Sant Kabir Nagar, Kushinagar. If CM Yogi contests from Ayodhya, then its effect will be in all these districts also. 

4. Big message to the electorate

If it is Ayodhya, it will become a symbolic fight with a big message in the state as Yogi has been long associated with the Ram Janambhoomi movement. Like PM Narendra Modi is now associated with Varanasi, CM Yogi will get associated with Ayodhya.

The traditional option will be the Gorakhpur - his home seat, or Mathura from where CM Yogi had himself flagged off the recent BJP Jan Vishwas Yatra. If he contests from there, it will be a clear and strong message that the party and the chief minister are not compromising on their core ideological beliefs for political purposes. 

5. Importance of Ayodhya for BJP 

Ayodhya Legislative Assembly seat is very special for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Before 1991, this seat was sometimes occupied by the Janata Dal and sometimes the Congress, but the Ram Mandir wave made this seat in the name of BJP and it became a stronghold of BJP. However, in the year 2012, the BJP had to face defeat from Ayodhya and the Samajwadi Party (SP) took it to its name. In the 2017 elections, Ved Prakash Gupta won from Ayodhya and again waved the flag of BJP. 

CM Yogi focused on Ayodhya ever since he took over as the CM. Ayodhya had been in the focus of Yogi ever since he took over. Even when the title dispute was pending before the Supreme Court, he left no stone unturned to develop infrastructure in Ayodhya in a bid to promote religious tourism. 

From road widening to beautification of ghats, he made all efforts to develop the temple town. He even changed the name of the district from Faizabad to Ayodhya. Yogi Adityanath assured that Ayodhya would be developed into a world-class city, so much so that people will say “muskuraiya ki app Ayodhya mein hai (Smile because you are in Ayodhya).” 

Additional Facts

If Yogi contests, he would be the first CM in 15 years to have directly contested the assembly elections. Neither Mayawati, who was the CM from 2007 to 2012, nor Akhilesh, who was in office from 2012 to 2017, contested assembly elections. 

Both chose the upper house. Yogi, too -- who was an MP when anointed in 2017 -- didn't contest assembly election and chose to be a member of the legislative council. 
As per the Constitution, the CM of a state has to be a member of either the legislative assembly or the council, if it exists in that state. This time, too, Mayawati will not contest while there is no clarity over Akhilesh's decision. He has left the decision on his party.

Elections for the 403 assembly constituencies in Uttar Pradesh will be held in seven phases starting February 10, the Election Commission said.The polling in Uttar Pradesh will be held on February 10, 14, 20, 23, 27 and March 3 and 7 in seven phases. The counting of votes will take place on March 10.Yogi Adityanath is likely to contest the upcoming assembly election from Ayodhya.