Yogi Adityanath As Future PM Candidate? Here's What Home Minister Amit Shah Thinks

The Union Home Minister and former BJP president Amit Shah hailed the incumbent Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for his development work in the state.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath| Photo: Getty

New Delhi: Union Home Minister Amit Shah has said it is “natural” for people to talk about Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath as a future prime ministerial candidate, citing development work carried out by him in the state.

In an Interview to The Indian Express Tuesday, Amit Shah said the BJP has done immense work in Uttar Pradesh under the leadership of Yogi Adityanath and is confident of a return to power.

On being asked about many seeing CM Yogi as the future prime minister of the country, Amit Shah said, "Naturally. So much work has been done under him, after so many years. UP got 30 medical colleges… we will see to it that every district has one. The state has two AIIMS while a research centre for Japanese encephalitis has also been constructed. The BJP government has built 10 new universities, opened 77 new colleges. Our government has also reconstructed and redeveloped 1.40 lakh colleges across Uttar Pradesh."

Praising the CM further, Shah said that Yogi Adityanath has worked hard to improve the law and order situation in the state and that it has become an election issue. He also spoke about improved road connectivity like the recently inaugurated Ganga Expressway.

"Yogi Adityanath has led an exemplary life and he has done great work on law and order. It has improved so well in Uttar Pradesh and it has become an election issue. There is an impressive improvement: 30-70 per cent drop in cases of robbery, dacoity, rape, etc. The state never had such good roads – Ghaziabad to Ganga, Gorakhpur to Agra, every region in the state is connected to an Expressway," said Shah in the interview.

On being asked about his statement that if people want Prime Minister Narendra back in power at the Centre in 2024 then a win for Yogi Adityanath is must in the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections, Shah said, "I did not say that. What I said was the route to Delhi is via Lucknow. Since Uttar Pradesh has 80 seats in the Lok Sabha, it’s very important for the BJP to be in power in Uttar Pradesh to return to power in 2024… If anyone wants to form a government with full majority at the Centre, it cannot be without Uttar Pradesh’s mandate."

During his interview Shah spoke on a host of other issues including the farmers' protest. He said that the decision on the protest by the government came late than expected as there were some issues with the farmers' organisations.

"I think there were some issues with the farmers’ organisations. The decision-making process was not so smooth… That’s why it took so long. If 40 people come together to take a decision, the process takes time. If there was a smaller team, it would have been easy. Anyway, it’s the past now."

The sixth phase of pollng in Uttar Pradesh will be held tomorrow, March 7, while the seventh and last phase of elections will take place on March 7. The votes will be counted on March 10.