VARANASI: Uttar Pradesh (UP) cabinet minister Sidharth Nath Singh has said that chief minister Yogi Adityanath “will be the face of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the 2022 state assembly elections”.
“BJP will contest the coming assembly polls under Yogi Ji’s leadership and retain power.
He will be the party’s face in the polls,” Singh said while talking to reporters here on Saturday.
Asked about the lunch hosted by deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya for Yogi following his (Maurya) June 16 statement that ‘BJP Parliamentary Board and its national leadership will decide under whom the next assembly elections will be fought in the state’, Singh said, “Everyone knows that marriage of deputy CM’s son had taken place recently.
The CM was invited to bless the newly wed couple.
It was a limited gathering in view of Covid-19 protocols.” On BJP’s prospects and Samajwadi Party (SP) bid to utilise West Bengal (WB) poll slogans like ‘Khela Hobe’ in the forthcoming state assembly polls, Singh said “the game will definitely happen but it will be played by BJP with the blessings of the people of the state”.
The minister said that the state government had won the battle against the first wave of Covid-19 and put an effective check on the second wave.
“Now, we are preparing for the third wave and the state government will ensure all steps to combat any variant of the virus,” he added.
Asked about the farmers’ agitation, Singh said: “The farmers should not worry as the state government has ensured record purchase of wheat on minimum support price (MSP) from them.
The quantum of purchase is greater than the purchases made during SP and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) governments on MSP.
The BJP-led government at the Centre is in talks with the protesting farmers and is trying to increase their earnings.” On the recently busted racket in religious conversion of the people, Singh said, “Those involved in the racket have been arrested and their connections in other states and countries are being traced to initiate appropriate action.” Singh also denied that a decision has been taken by the state government to bring a law for population control.
“However, population should be controlled as it is in the interest of the country and will strengthen its economy.”