Yogi Adityanath wants 'freehand' in Uttar Pradesh assembly bypolls

Adityanath has conveyed to the party leadership that he wanted a say in the selection of candidates in the by-polls. This has assumed significance as Adityanath’s picks were largely ignored by the BJP central leadership in the Lok Sabha polls.

Lucknow: With the stakes set high after his party’s dismal performance in Uttar Pradesh in the recent Lok Sabha elections, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has sought to have a ‘’freehand’’ when it comes to the upcoming assembly bypolls in ten seats.

Billed as a mini-poll after the Lok Sabha elections, their results won't have any actual impact on the BJP-led government in the state. However, electoral gains are crucial for the saffron party at this juncture as it is desperate to prove that it is still the most popular party in India’s biggest and politically most crucial state.

According to sources in the state BJP, Adityanath has conveyed to the party leadership that he wanted a say in the selection of candidates in the by-polls. This has assumed significance as Adityanath’s recommendations were largely ignored by the BJP central leadership in the Lok Sabha polls.

Adityanath had previously come under attack as senior colleagues in BJP had blamed him for the party's below par performance in the UP Lok Sabha polls, accusing him of 'ignoring' ordinary party workers.

UP deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya and many other senior party leaders and MLAs also questioned Adityanath’s style of functioning, publicly, prompting the BJP high command to intervene to rein in the disgruntled leaders.

‘’The stakes are very high for Adityanath ... .Another dismal performance (in the by-polls) will certainly weaken his position within the party and we may have more dissenting voices,’’ said a senior UP BJP leader here while speaking to DH. ‘’No wonder Adityanath has sought freehand from the party…from selection of candidates to campaigning,’’ he added.

The chief minister has already deployed his trusted ministers in all the bypoll bound constituencies. He has also been visiting the constituencies where the bypolls are slated.

BJP sources here said that so far no decision had been taken on Adityanath’s demand.  One BJP leader said that it was not the party’s culture to hand over everything to an individual. ‘’We operate collectively,’’ he remarked.

Of the ten seats, where the bypolls would be held, five were held by the Samajwadi Party (SP), three by the BJP and one each by the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) and Nishad Party.