‘Keep batting, Yogi ji’, BJP tells UP CM

Sitapur: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday indicated that the BJP wants Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath to remain at the crease and ensure a party victory in the coming assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh.

The cricketing analogy came at convention here of the BJP’s polling booth-level leaders, where Singh interpreted a recent photograph of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Adityanath.

The PM has his arm around the chief minister’s shoulders in the picture. Singh said the PM appears to be whispering in the CM’s ear, Just keep batting Yogi ji and and the BJP’s win is assured.”

After speculation weeks back that the BJP might pick a new chief minister for UP ahead of next year’s assembly polls, the party appears keen to dispel the impression. On a recent visit to the state, Union Home Minister Amit Shah even suggested that voting for Adityanath in 2022 was important if people wanted to see a return of the BJP at the Centre in the next LS elections.

On Thursday, Singh said the Centre decided to withdraw its agriculture laws as the BJP is “sensitive” towards farmers. He attacked the opposition Congress and the Samajwadi Party, saying his own party can never “fire bullets” on farmers and “Ram bhakts”. “Our party is always sensitive towards farmers. That’s why our prime minister has repealed the farm laws,” he said referring to the farmers’ year-long agitation. -(PTI)