Today (Friday, June 5) is the 54th birthday of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. Yogi Adityanath, often known as the champion of Hindutva, has transformed from being the Mahant of Gorkhaksha Peeth to an astute politician. Handling the difficult responsibilities of the Gorakhsha Peeth, he used “Bulldozer” to dismantle the schemes of mafias which were hindering the progress of the state and broke the web of difficulties coming in the way of development. Today we will know how “Bulldozer Baba” became an adept strategist in the corridors of power from a big leader of Hindutva. After completing a successful tenure of five years, CM Yogi took oath as the Chief Minister of UP for the second consecutive time on 25 March 2022, winning with an overwhelming majority. He became MLA for the first time by contesting elections from Gorakhpur City Assembly constituency and winning by a record margin.
**Strict routine and aggressive attitude of Chief Minister Yogi**
His political journey – from leaving his family and becoming a monk to becoming the successor to the Gorakhsha Peeth, serving as an MP and finally becoming the successful Chief Minister of the state for the second time – has been full of ups and downs. Despite his strict routine and aggressive behavior, he even had to go to jail, yet he never wavered. He remained steadfast, crushing every obstacle that came in his way and moving forward.
**Record of being elected MP five consecutive times**
When “Nath” is added to one’s name, no one can stop him from reaching the heights of success – be it the field of *yoga-sadhana* (spiritual practice) or state and national politics. There is a saying: “A wandering monk and flowing water never stop.” In the temple he is a *yogi*, but when he steps outside the threshold of the temple he becomes a *rajyogi* (politician-sanyasi). Supporting Hindutva and development issues, he holds the record of being MP for five consecutive terms; He achieved this feat at the age of 42. June 5 is the 54th birthday of Yogi Adityanath – leader of the Nath sect, Mahant of Gorakhpeeth and Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh. Let us know about the political journey of Yogi Adityanath – the advocate of Hindutva, who became a Yogi from Ajay Singh Bisht and then ‘Rajyogi’ (Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh).
**Renunciation of worldly life at the age of 22**
UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, BJP’s star campaigner and adept player of Hindu vote-bank politics, was born on 5 June 1972 in a Garhwali Rajput family in Panchur village in Pauri Garhwal district of Uttarakhand. His father was late Anand Singh Bisht and mother was Savitri Devi. He was the fifth among seven siblings. At the age of 22, he gave up worldly attachments and became a ‘Yogi’. He did B.Sc. in Mathematics from Garhwal University, Srinagar. Have obtained degree. M.Sc in Mathematics After completing his studies, he came to Gorakhpur in 1993. During his stay at the Gorakhnath temple, on 15 February 1994 he took initiation from Mahant Avaidyanath and became a ‘Yogi’, also changing his name from Ajay Singh Bisht to Yogi Adityanath. He took charge of the election campaign of Mahant Avaidyanath during the 1996 Lok Sabha elections. In 1998, his guru Mahant Avaidyanath declared him his successor and made him a candidate for the Lok Sabha elections.
**Became MP for the first time at the age of 26**
This is where his political career began, when he won the Lok Sabha elections at the age of 26. He also holds the record of becoming the youngest Member of Parliament (MP). After assuming the responsibility as the successor of Guru Gorakhnath Temple, he also took over the responsibility of management of schools and colleges run by *Gorakshpeeth* and Maharana Pratap Shiksha Parishad. Apart from this, he also looked after the Guru Gorakhnath Hospital and redressed the complaints of the common people. Along with these responsibilities, his public recognition and popularity also increased. **He came into limelight due to Pacharukhiya incident**
The Pachrukhiya incident – which took place on 10 February 1999 in the Pachrukhiya area under the jurisdiction of Kotwali police station in Maharajganj district – brought him into the limelight. Since then Yogi became deeply involved in controversies. After this, he was accused of being anti-Muslim and giving communal speeches. He also had to go to jail during the riots and curfew in Gorakhpur. Yogi Adityanath attracted considerable attention due to his stance against religious conversion and his advocacy of *ghar wapsi* (re-embracement of Hinduism). Still, he was not perturbed by all this. During this time, he strengthened organizations such as Hindu Yuva Vahini and Bajrang Dal, which supported Hindutva and development issues.
**Rebellious attitude towards BJP**
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath also showed a rebellious attitude. He did this in view of the turmoil in the top leadership of the BJP during the 2007 assembly elections and the party’s declining position in the 2009 Lok Sabha elections. Frustrated with the BJP’s lack of flexibility towards him during the 2007 assembly elections, he announced that the Hindu Yuva Vahini would field its own candidates. This created a stir in the BJP camp and political circles. Eventually, the top leadership accepted Yogi Adityanath’s position in the party. Subsequently, he decided to extend his influence into eastern Uttar Pradesh (Purvanchal). This move benefited BJP and strengthened the position of Yogi Adityanath.
**Raising voice against terrorism from public platform**
As an MP, Yogi Adityanath raised his voice on the issues of terrorism, Naxalism and anti-national elements and often pledged to eliminate them in his inimitable style. He proved his political clout by winning consecutive Lok Sabha elections in 1998, 1999, 2004, 2009 and 2014; By the age of 42, he had made a record of being elected as MP for five consecutive terms – an achievement recognized not only in Purvanchal but across the country. In eastern Uttar Pradesh, Yogi Adityanath has won elections on the basis of consistent activism; His activism has been inspired not only by his identity as an MP, but also as a staunch supporter of aggressive Hindutva. Very few MPs return from public meetings at 11 pm and wake up again at 2:45 am; Nevertheless, yogis follow this routine for their yoga practice.
**Routine starting with yoga and worship**
His daily routine starts at 3 in the morning and continues till late night. This includes morning yoga, puja, cow-seva and Janata Darbar (hearing people’s complaints), after which he tours his constituency to inculcate the spirit of Hindutva among the people. Yogi is the Mahant (chief priest) of the world famous Gorakhnath temple. Purvanchal is a witness to the fact that no previous Mahant of Gorakhpeeth showed a fierce and aggressive attitude like Yogi Adityanath. They are adept at playing the ‘Hindu vs Muslim’ card. In a Lok Sabha election, he narrowly lost to SP candidate Jamuna Nishad and won by a margin of just 7,000 votes. However, after that he showed his true strength by achieving many spectacular victories.
**Took oath as Chief Minister for the first time on March 19, 2017**
During the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, he played the role of star campaigner, held powerful rallies and maintained his political clout by winning the election from Gorakhpur. Following the 2017 assembly elections, he was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh on 19 March 2017. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, he played a key role in ensuring the victory of BJP candidates in all constituencies of Gorakhpur-Basti division. Leading the election campaign in Uttar Pradesh and several other states, he emerged as a ‘game-changer’ ensuring the victory of BJP candidates.
There is no doubt about Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s commitment towards Hindutva. He has also won the hearts of people by working on issues like electricity, water, roads and employment. He continues to write books on Gorakshpeeth, Yoga, Religion and Spirituality. He is credited with winning all nine assembly seats in Gorakhpur in the 2022 elections, and also with record-breaking victories in Purvanchal and the rest of Uttar Pradesh.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, who has adopted the approach of taking everyone along for development, is a ray of hope for people of different castes, religions, beliefs and social classes. On the basis of this strength, he has successfully completed four years of his ‘Yogi 2.0’ tenure. As a star campaigner in West Bengal and other states, he ensured that the BJP’s ‘lotus’ bloomed wherever he went. As an advocate of Hindutva, his powerful speeches have also contributed to political change and changing power equations. While on one hand his stature as Chief Minister is continuously growing, on the other hand the people of Uttar Pradesh and the country now see him as a leader who is capable of providing effective leadership as Prime Minister in the future.
