Hindutva hardliner Yogi Adityanath to be next Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh

March 19, 2017

Lucknow, Mar 19: Springing a surprise, the BJP on Saturday nominated firebrand saffron leader Yogi Adityanath as the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh. UP BJP?president Keshav Prasad Maurya and Lucknow Mayor Dinesh Sharma are the deputy chief ministers.

adityanath

Adityanath, the ‘mahant’ (head priest) of the famous Gorakhnath Peeth in Gorakhpur, was unanimously elected leader of the BJP Legislature Party at its meeting here in the presence of Union minister M Venkaiah Naidu and BJP general secretary Bhupendra Yadav, who were sent in as observers.

“Adityanath was elected unanimously at the meeting of the legislators,” Naidu told reporters. Naidu said no other name was proposed at the meeting.

Adityanath (44), the Lok Sabha MP?from Gorakhpur, met Governor Ram Naik and staked claim to form the government. He will be sworn in as the 21st chief minister of the state on Sunday.

The other members of the cabinet would be announced on Sunday, ahead of the swearing-in ceremony.

The drama
Much drama preceded Adityanath’s nomination. In the afternoon, his name started making the rounds, replacing that of Union minister Manoj Sinha and others as likely candidates for the top post.

Adityanath rushed to Delhi, where he had a long meeting with BJP president Amit Shah and vice president Om Mathur. Later, Adityanath went to Lucknow with Maurya and Mathur.

Adityanath was closeted with Naidu and Bhupendra for around 30 minutes, after which they participated in the meeting of the legislators.

The suspense over the chief minister continued till the last minute and none of the 325 legislators from the BJP and its allies seemed to have any inkling of the party’s choice.

Naidu said after his election as leader of the legislature party, Adityanath urged the party leadership to let two senior colleagues assist him in administration. Naidu said on his request, the party leadership allowed Adityanath to have two deputies. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Shah would be present at the swearing-in ceremony.

“The chief ministers of the states ruled by the BJP and its alliance partners have also been invited to attend the oath-taking ceremony,” Naidu said.

He said the mandate for the BJP in the UP polls was historic, adding, “It is a watershed moment for the BJP. It has proved that the nation wants to move with Modi.”

The main agenda of the party in UP?would be development and good governance, he said.

“It’s a mandate against corruption, black money, caste and communal politics... people have supported us cutting across caste lines,” Naidu added. “We will together ensure the development of UP, and end goonda raj,”?Adityanath said, addressing the newly elected legislators of the BJP and its alliance partners Apna Dal and Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party.

Sources said BJP MLA from Shahjahanpur Sauresh Khanna moved the proposal for electing Adityanath as the leader of the legislature party.

A large number of Adityanath supporters descended on the state capital from Gorakhpur and nearby districts and chanted slogans in his favour outside the venue of the meeting. Even before the polls, his supporters had demanded that he be declared the chief ministerial face of the party. Adityanath was one of the star campaigners of the BJP and addressed close to 100 election meetings in different parts of the state.
Who is Adityanath?

-Firebrand Hindutva advocate, Adityanath’s remarks often trigger controversy
-Head priest at Gorakhnath temple; founder of vigilante group Hindu Yuva Vahini
-Won Gorakhpur seat five times; at 26 was youngest member of 12th Lok Sabha
-Had differences with BJP in the past; in 2007 over ticket distribution

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News Network
March 27,2024

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At least seven people have been killed when Israeli warplanes bombed an emergency center in southern Lebanon near the border with the 1948 Israeli-occupied territories with air-to-surface missiles, according to Lebanese security sources.

Two sources, speaking on condition of anonymity said early on Wednesday that the strike targeted the Islamic Group’s emergency and relief center in Lebanon’s southern village of Habbariyeh.

Jamaa Islamiya, a Lebanese group closely linked to the Gaza-based Palestinian resistance movement Hamas, said in a statement that “a number” of people had been killed, and called the strike a “heinous crime.”

An official from the group said “seven rescuers” were killed in the aerial assault.

Another Jamaa Islamiya official, also requesting anonymity, said a dozen medical staff were in the emergency center at the time of the strike, adding that bodies were being pulled from the rubble.

Lebanese lawmaker Hassan Mrad said “the Israeli aggression on Habbariyeh adds to the long list of Israeli crimes.”

Israel has been launching air strikes against Lebanon since the beginning of its onslaught against the Gaza Strip in early October.

An Israeli strike knocked down part of a building in the southern Lebanese city of Nabatiyeh on February 14, killing seven members of the same family, including a child, Lebanon’s official National News Agency said. A boy initially reported missing was found alive under the rubble.

In a separate Israeli attack, a woman and her two children were killed in the village of as-Sawana in southern Lebanon.

The Israeli regime launched its devastating hostilities in the Gaza Strip on October 7 after the territory’s Hamas-led Palestinian resistance groups carried out a surprise retaliatory attack, dubbed Operation Al-Aqsa Storm, against the occupying entity.

Israel's raids have resulted in retaliatory strikes from Hezbollah in support of the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip.

The movement has vowed to keep up its retaliatory operations as long as the Tel Aviv regime continues its onslaught on Gaza.

The Israeli campaign in Gaza has killed at least 32,414 people, most of them women and children. Another 74,787 individuals have also been wounded.

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News Network
March 14,2024

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Mangaluru, Mar 14: “Hindutva is my commitment and development is my priority,” said Indian army veteran and entrepreneur Captain Brijesh Chowta after the BJP high command announced a ticket to him from Dakshina Kannada Lok Sabha constituency.

Known as a BJP stronghold, Nalin Kumar Kateel has served as the MP of this constituency for the past 15 years.

Soon after the announcement was made, 42-year-old Chowta, who is also the BJP state secretary from Dakshina Kannada constituency, sought the blessings of his parents and went to Shree Sharavu Mahaganapathi Temple and visited the war memorial to offer tributes.

A BSc graduate from St Aloysius College, he completed his executive business Management program from the Indian Institute of Management, Indore.

He was commissioned into the 7th battalion of the 8 Gorkha Rifles and served in counter-insurgency operations in Assam and Manipur and was part of Elite Ghatak team. He also served as the adjutant to the battalion. He has been associated with the BJP since 2013. He is the president of Mangaluru Kambala and organiser of Mangaluru Lit Fest.

“Humbled and grateful to our party seniors led by our commander-in-chief PM Narendra Modi for giving me this opportunity to be our party’s candidate and representative of his work and vision in Dakshina Kannada. I pledge to continue to work with even greater rigour for the welfare of our region and people driven by the mantra of ‘Nation First’. I humbly bow down to all our karyakartas & everyone who stood by me & toiled with me to make this happen. Our task has just begun, as we work towards making Dakshina Kannada the number one in the state,” Captain Chowta said on X.

Kateel welcomes change 

Meanwhile, sitting Dakshina Kannada MP Nalin Kumar Kateel has welcomed the party’s decision to field Capt Brijesh Chowta as the BJP candidate for Dakshina Kannada Lok Sabha constituency.

He said the change aligns with the party’s strategy of fostering new talent to broaden its base and activities. He hoped that he will win by a margin of more than 3 lakh votes.

Soon after the list was announced on Wednesday, the three-time MP told reporters that he has brought projects worth about Rs 1 lakh crore during the last 10 years, under the Modi government.

He thanked the party for giving him a big responsibility of leading the party in the state. “I have worked honestly,” he said.

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News Network
March 28,2024

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Mangaluru, Mar 28: A fish meal factory in the Baikampady Industrial area in Mangaluru was gutted in a fire incident on Thursday, officials said.

The factory is owned by the company 'Shihar Enterprises', they said.

According to the locals, the fire was first noticed at 4.45 am today, which was immediately reported to the fire department.

The fire engines reached the spot and tried to douse the fire, but it had already spread to other parts of the factory. After almost four hours of fire-fighting operation, the blaze was completely doused, officials.

The reason for the blaze is still being probed, the fire department officials said, adding that they suspect an electric short circuit could have triggered it.

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