Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday filed his nomination papers from Gorakhpur, his hometown, amid a huge show of strength.
Adityanath, who would be contesting the assembly polls for the first time, was accompanied by Union Home Minister Amit Shah and other senior BJP leaders.
Earlier addressing BJP workers, both Adityanath and Shah claimed that the saffron party would win a comfortable majority in the forthcoming assembly elections in the state and form the next government.
''The state has made progress on all fronts. The law and order situation has improved and the mafia elements are in jail,'' Shah said. The union minister heaped praise on Adityanath and said that under his leadership, UP has been able to rid itself of the 'Bimaru' tag.
Bhim Army founder and Dalit leader Chandrashekhar alias Ravan has announced that he will challenge Adityanath from Gorakhpur. The Samajwadi Party (SP) is yet to announce its candidate from the seat.
Gorakhpur City assembly constituency had been a bastion of the BJP and the saffron party had not lost there since 1967, the days of Jansangh. The incumbent MLA from the seat Radhamohan Das Aagarwal, an Adityanath confidante, has been winning from there since 2002.
Adityanath's decision to shift to Gorakhpur had invited sarcastic remarks from the Opposition. ''It is good that he has decided to contest from Gorakhpur, his home town. He would now have to leave the town. He will remain there as his party is going to lose the polls,'' SP chief Akhilesh Yadav had said.
Watch the latest DH Videos here: