Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi AdityanathPhoto : PTIThe Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) that returned to power in Uttar Pradesh in 2017, ending its 14-year exile, has left no stone unturned to ensure that it continues to rule the country’s most politically vital state for five more years. From carrying out high-octane campaigning to choosing prominent leaders as its candidates, the saffron party is trying not to miss a single opportunity to retain power in the state. In one of its efforts to cement its position in Uttar Pradesh, the party has picked its key Hindutva face, who is also the present Chief Minister of the state – Yogi Adityanath – as the CM face for the seven-phase Uttar Pradesh polls. In 2017, Adityanath, born Ajay Mohan Bisht in Garhwal in Uttarakhand, emerged as BJP’s surprise pick for the CM post after party’s emphatic win in the Assembly polls. The BJP had never announced a Chief Ministerial candidate. Following its landslide victory, the saffron party left everyone surprised after it named Adityanath as CM of the state, forcing everyone to think if the saffron-robed monk would even complete a full term. Defying all odds, Adityanath, however, established himself as one of the most popular Chief Ministers of Uttar Pradesh and also a prominent leader of the saffron party. In one of the recent election rallies, Prime Minister Narendra Modi even used the term “UP+Yogi – Upyogi (Useful)” as he heaped praises on the UP CM for the development works in the state. This year, the BJP firebrand leader, currently a member of the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council, is contesting Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections – his first state polls – from his home turf Gorakhpur. The UP Chief Minister, who is also the head priest of the Goraknath Math, has represented the Gorakhpur constituency in Lok Sabha multiple times till 2017. As the priest-politician is contesting the Assembly polls for the first time, this election assumes greater importance for the five-time MP than any he has fought before. Earlier, speculations were rife that the BJP leader would ditch his bastion Gorakhpur and fight the elections from either one of the temple towns of Ayodhya or Mathura, owing to strident pro-Hindutva credentials of the 49-year-old. Adityanath’s nomination from Ayodhya, sources had said, would have ticked many boxes as the ongoing construction of the Ram temple has bolstered its political profile for the BJP. Polling for the Gorakhpur (Urban) seat is set to be held on March 3 – the sixth phase. Adityanath’s main challenger Samajwadi Party Akhilesh Yadav is also contesting his maiden Assembly polls.