Yogi far ahead of rivals in campaigning, SP chief conspicuously absent

Yogi far ahead of rivals in campaigning, SP chief conspicuously absent

Amidst the buzz surrounding the upcoming elections, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has reaffirmed his commitment to BJP candidates.

With the first phase of voting scheduled for April 19 and the election campaign set to halt on April 17, Adityanath has been actively engaging with voters, advocating for BJP candidates across all constituencies.

However, in contrast, Samajwadi Party chief and former chief minister Akhilesh Yadav has been notably absent from the campaign trail thus far, raising questions about his support for SP and alliance candidates. Barring the by-election of his wife’s Mainpuri seat, Akhilesh, who is generally absent from the rest of the Lok Sabha by-elections, has not yet come to support his candidates even in the general election campaign.

Akhilesh Yadav is set to kick off his campaign from Pilibhit on Friday.

Notably, elections are to be held on eight seats in the first phase and only six days are left for the campaign. Yet, Akhilesh Yadav’s conspicuous absence from campaigning has left the INDI Alliance candidates high and dry, while Yogi Adityanath has been holding marathon election rallies since March 27, covering most seats going to the polls in first and second phases as well as some in the third phase.

BJP leaders here on Thursday said that Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has addressed 37 public meetings within 14 days. He has held public meetings not only in Uttar Pradesh but also outside, including in key states like Rajasthan, Maharashtra, and Jammu seeking public support for the NDA candidates.

On March 27, CM Yogi kicked off the election campaign in UP through a Buddha Sammelan in Mathura. Moreover, on April 4, he participated in the nomination of BJP candidate from Mathura Hema Malini.

So far, the CM has visited Mathura and other constituencies multiple times for campaigning, while the opposition candidates continue to wait for their leaders.

CM Yogi has campaigned multiple times for BJP candidates from Saharanpur, Kairana, Muzaffarnagar, Bijnor, Nagina, Rampur, and Pilibhit, which are going to polls in the first phase. For the second phase, he has conducted roadshows and public meetings in Amroha, Meerut, Baghpat, Ghaziabad, Noida, Bulandshahr, Aligarh, and Mathura.

Furthermore, he has also participated in election campaigns in Hathras, Agra, Fatehpur Sikri, Badaun, Aonla, and Bareilly for the third phase. It’s noteworthy that the BJP has fielded new candidates in Badaun, Bareilly, and Pilibhit divisions this time.

The BJP has formed an alliance with the RLD. Consequently, Yogi Adityanath, as the chief of UP, has become a troubleshooter not only for BJP candidates but also for RLD candidates. RLD has fielded its candidates on Baghpat and Bijnor seats in UP. Voting will be held in the first phase in Bijnor and in the second phase in Baghpat. The RLD has fielded Chandan Chauhan from Bijnor and Rajkumar Sangwan from Baghpat for the elections. The Chief Minister has held three rallies for Chandan Chauhan and two for Rajkumar Sangwan.

Considering the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, CM Yogi has campaigned in Rajasthan, Maharashtra, and Jammu. On April 7, he campaigned for Ramswaroop Koli in Bharatpur, Kanhaiya Lal Meena in Dausa, and Swami Sumedhanand Saraswati in Sikar, all in Rajasthan. On April 8, he was in Maharashtra, campaigning for Ramdas Tadas in Wardha, Sunil Mendhe in Bhandara, and Union Minister Nitin Gadkari in Nagpur. On April 10, CM Yogi made a powerful appeal for Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh from the Udhampur seat in Jammu.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is contesting as the NDA candidate from the Varanasi constituency, where voting is scheduled for June 7. As the head of Uttar Pradesh, Yogi Adityanath convened a meeting of the Lok Sabha Election Steering Committee on April 3 and delegated responsibilities to the workers. Subsequently, on April 4, he provided guidance to workers in his home district of Gorakhpur, as well as in Bansgaon and Sant Kabir Nagar constituencies, on effectively managing BJP’s campaign efforts.