Yogi in demand as BJP bets on UP CM’s firebrand image to boost Bihar campaign

Yogi’s growing popularity as a star campaigner beyond Uttar Pradesh has been evident in several recent elections.

With the Election Commission announcing the Bihar Assembly election schedule, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has rolled out an aggressive campaign strategy led by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. The party has deployed more than 100 senior leaders, ministers, and legislators from Uttar Pradesh to bolster its poll machinery across Bihar.

Yogi Adityanath is set to be the face of the BJP’s star campaigners, addressing more than 24 rallies across both phases of the polls. His outreach will cover over 50 assembly constituencies, with a significant focus on the Seemanchal and border regions that share cultural and linguistic links with eastern Uttar Pradesh. Party insiders say his rallies are among the most in demand after those of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as several BJP leaders from Bihar have requested his inclusion in their campaign itineraries.

Deputy Chief Ministers Keshav Prasad Maurya and Brajesh Pathak, along with senior ministers, will join the campaign trail. Maurya, appointed as co-incharge of the Bihar elections, has been tasked with overseeing coordination, strategy, and candidate management. His influence among the Maurya, Saini, Shakya, and Kushwaha communities, key OBC groups in Bihar, is expected to help the BJP expand its social reach.

The BJP has strategically divided campaign responsibilities among several UP leaders. Former minister Dr. Mahendra Singh will supervise around 40 constituencies, while Jal Shakti Minister Swatantra Dev Singh will handle the Ara district. Transport Minister Dayashankar Singh will coordinate efforts across nearly 48 constituencies alongside Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

Senior MPs and ex-MPs from Uttar Pradesh, including Dr. Mahesh Sharma (Gautam Buddha Nagar), Bhola Singh (Bulandshahr), Rajkumar Chahar (Fatehpur Sikri), Raghav Lakhanpal (Saharanpur), and Subrata Pathak (Kannauj), have also been given charge of key constituencies. BJP national vice president Rekha Verma, former ministers Siddharthnath Singh and Satish Chandra Dwivedi, Deoria MLA Shalabhmani Tripathi, and ex-MP Vinod Sonkar will handle rallies, media coordination, and organizational work.

According to political analysts, this large-scale deployment of Uttar Pradesh’s political apparatus underscores the BJP’s intent to blend Yogi Adityanath’s mass appeal with the administrative experience of senior UP leaders. The strategy aims to replicate the Uttar Pradesh model of governance, marked by tough policing, infrastructure development, and religious nationalism, within Bihar’s political landscape.

Why is Yogi in demand?

Although the BJP is yet to announce its candidates for the Bihar elections, Yogi Adityanath’s popularity among the party’s rank and file remains undeniable. In the previous election, barring Muslim-majority constituencies, most BJP candidates had specifically requested a rally by the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, second only to Prime Minister Modi. Political observers and party insiders attribute this demand to three key reasons.

First, Yogi’s influence naturally extends to Bihar’s western districts, Gopalganj, Saran, Siwan, and Valmikinagar, owing to their cultural proximity to Gorakhpur, his political and spiritual base. Second, his firebrand Hindutva image and reputation as the “Bulldozer Baba” make him a powerful symbol of decisive governance and Hindu pride. Third, his record in maintaining law and order in Uttar Pradesh, including the use of bulldozers and encounters to curb crime, has enhanced his reputation across neighboring districts, where voters view him as a tough, no-nonsense administrator.

Political analysts believe Yogi’s speeches help the BJP consolidate and energize its saffron vote bank with minimal effort. His rallies naturally attract massive crowds, and his ability to connect with the grassroots ensures high turnout without extensive mobilization.

Yogi’s popularity

Yogi’s growing popularity as a star campaigner beyond Uttar Pradesh has been evident in several recent elections. In Maharashtra last year, he addressed more than ten rallies across Kolhapur, Karad North, and Bhosari, invoking cultural unity and hardline issues like “land jihad” and “love jihad.”

In Maharashtra, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath addressed public rallies in support of 24 candidates, out of which 22 secured victory. In Tripura, Yogi held six rallies and roadshows over two days, leading to a clean sweep for the BJP and the formation of a government under Modi’s direction.

Yogi’s influence was also visible in Odisha. His outreach during both the Lok Sabha and Assembly campaigns helped the BJP end Naveen Patnaik’s long rule and form the government. His involvement in the 2023 assembly polls in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Chhattisgarh also coincided with significant BJP victories, with 22 of 29 candidates he campaigned for in Madhya Pradesh winning their seats.

The BJP hopes to harness that momentum in Bihar, where the party seeks to consolidate Hindu votes and counter the RJD-led alliance’s influence in Muslim-majority and OBC-dominated areas. Yogi’s campaign will focus on nationalism, corruption-free governance, and the Ram Temple narrative, issues that have consistently strengthened his connect with the BJP base.

The Bihar Assembly elections will be held in two phases, with polling on November 6 and November 11. The counting of votes will take place on November 14.