Shah deputes him to address meets in Patna to mark anniversary of govt.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will soon face off Lalu Prasad in Patna, the RJD leader’s home turf. BJP president Amit Shah has deputed him to visit Bihar’s capital and address meetings to mark the third anniversary of the Narendra Modi government.

“All BJP Chief Ministers and Deputy Chief Ministers have been deputed to travel to the States — especially those not ruled by the BJP — between May 27 and June 15, but preferably between May 27 and 30, to speak at public meetings to highlight the work of their own and of the Centre. Yogi Adityanathji will travel to Patna and one of his deputies Keshav Prasad Maurya will go to Nalanda, considered the pocket borough of Bihar Chief Minister and JD(U) leader Nitish Kumar,” a source in the BJP said.

Special attention

Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das will go to Durgapur, and Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh will visit Asansol, both in West Bengal.

This underscores the fact that the BJP is paying special attention to West Bengal. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan will go to Cuttack, Odisha, and his Maharashtra counterpart Devendra Fadnavis will visit Kochi, Kerala. Dinesh Sharma, the other Deputy Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, will be in Tamil Nadu, visiting either Coimbatore or Madurai.

“The most important in terms of political temperature is the trip by Yogi Adityanath to Patna. He is a fiery speaker and the RJD and the BJP have had several run-ins in the city over corruption allegations against Mr. Lalu Prasad, and the recent I-T raids...,” said an office-bearer of the party. Mr. Lalu Prasad’s role is considered crucial to the Opposition unity in the run-up to the presidential elections and the 2019 general election. The RJD will hold a big rally in Patna in August and has invited various leaders for it.

Yogi Aditynath’s provocative style is expected to keep the political tempers simmering. While the general election is two years away, and the State elections are three years away, the BJP’s preparatory work continues apace.