BJP to contest 2022 polls under Yogi: UP BJP chief

LUCKNOW: UP BJP chief Swatantra Dev Singh on Tuesday affirmed that the saffron party would contest the next assembly polls next year under the leadership of none other than chief minister Yogi Adityanath.
"UP ka chunav Yogi ji ke netritva mein hi lada jayega," Singh told TOI on Tuesday. His statement further defused speculations about BJP's top central leadership asserting itself for changes in the government in the state ahead of the high-stake assembly elections due next year.
This comes a day after Yogi, in an interview with TOI, scotched speculations that the recent high-level meetings of the BJP and RSS brass had anything to do with the changes in his government.
The political corridors of BJP have been abuzz with high-decibel rumors about ex-IAS officer-turned-BJP MLC AK Sharma, who is considered close to PM Modi, being adjusted in the state cabinet and given a prominent portfolio.
Singh said that the party workers would soon be asked to fan out across the state and create atmosphere in favour of the BJP by projecting the face of both PM Narendra Modi and CM Yogi.
"The party workers will visit villages and highlight the schemes and achievements of the Modi as well as Yogi government. The party would also heavily rely on the hard work of its workers," he said. The UP BJP chief had recently hailed Yogi as one of the most popular and hardworking CM the state ever had.
BJP sources said that the party organisation has already started the exercise of holding meetings with district-level functionaries to begin the spade work for UP assembly elections. BJP state general secretary (organisation), Sunil Bansal, is learnt to have told party workers in Gorakhpur, the home turf of Yogi, that UP CM was the most prominent face the state unit had at this point of time.
Sources said that the BJP would soon appoint a convener and in charge of all 403 assembly seats to lend further traction to party preparedness to take an aggressive opposition which has been trying to corner the BJP over alleged mishandling of pandemic.
"For the time being, the party workers would be engaged in 'Sewa Hi Sangathan' , the campaign launched by PM Modi and BJP national president JP Nadda," he said. The campaign, he said, would continue till July end to persuade people to go in for vaccination and provide service to the people hit by Covid. "The party will also help the state government in spreading awareness about post covid care," he said.