All eyes on Yogi Adityanath as BJP’s national executive meet begins in Bhubaneswar

As the two-day BJP national executive meet starts in Bhubaneswar on Saturday, all eyes are on Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath who has created a buzz in this temple city.

An indication to his ascension in the party hierarchy came from the choice of posters inside the venue — one on the dais showing Prime Minister Narendra Modi, party president Amit Shah, former PM Atal Behari Vajpayee and senior leader LK Advani and another on the opposite side of the hall showing Adityanath surrounded by leaders at his swearing in ceremony.

While posters outside the Janata Maidan venue showcase all 13 party chief ministers, Adityanath’s is the only one inside – quite a change in the profile of a leader who had



walked out of the last executive meet in a huff as he was not allowed to speak. It’s not just workers and leaders who are talking about the UP CM. The response of the people on the streets reflects more than mere curiosity.

“We are waiting to see him (Adityanath),” said 47-year-old Burjaya Acharya, a resident of Bhubaneswar. “God has picked him to serve the country.”

Once regarded as a leader of eastern UP — or Gorakhpur, to be precise — the 44-year-old’s profile shot up after his ascension as the chief minister last month. After Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he is the most sought-after BJP leader in the campaigning for the Delhi municipal polls.