Local Body polls: Yogi Adityanath to campaign, will become 1st CM to do so

UP CM Yogi Adityanath. (source: ANI)

IN A first for a UP chief minister, Yogi Adityanath is set to campaign for the local body elections in the state — likely to be held next month. BJP leaders claimed that Adityanath will address public meetings in all 16 municipal corporations. On the other hand, his Cabinet colleagues and other leaders will campaign for party candidates contesting in municipal boards and nagar panchayats polls. There are 198 municipal boards and 439 nagar panchayats in UP.

The Adityanath government had recently set up Ayodhya Nagar Nigam and Mathura-Vridnavan Nagar Nigam by merging the municipal boards in these towns. Sources said that with the CM promoting religious tourism at both these places, BJP’s performance will be matter of prestige for Adityanath.

“The CM is the topmost leader in the state. Party state president Mahendra Nath Pandey, with deputy CMs Keshav Prasad Maurya and Dinesh Sharma, will also campaign,” said a senior leader. As part of the campaign programme, ministers will hold public meetings and nukkad sabhas.

In the 2012 urban local elections, BJP had won 10 of 12 seats of mayor. However, it had only won 42 seats of chairpersons in municipal boards and 36 in nagar panchayats. At that time, BJP was out of power both at the state and at the Centre. Now, with BJP in power both at the state and the Centre and Prime Minister Narendra Modi being the MP from Varanasi, the party has decided to contest local body elections with full strength. Varanasi is among the 16 municipal corporations that will go to polls.

“Samajwadi Party and BSP are going to contest the elections on party symbols for the first time. With 312 MLAs of its own, BJP has asked its legislators from urban areas to focus on local body polls and highlight the works of the state and central governments. MPs will also canvass,” said a leader.

“Local body elections are not a challenge for the party. The CM has laid the foundation of the state’s development and people will vote for BJP… the party will record a historic win in all urban local body seats,” said party state spokesperson Chandra Mohan.

On who will lead the campaign, he said: “BJP will contest the election on the agenda of development and all senior leaders and workers will contribute.”

Senior state leaders are scheduled to meet in Lucknow on Friday to discuss poll preparations with the State Election Commission likely to announce the poll dates soon. BJP has already collected applications from ticket aspirants. Screening of these applications is under process with the party planning to announce candidates in a phased manner in case elections are held in phases.