Why Yogi Adityanath spent 20 days away from Uttar Pradesh campaigning

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath spent at least 20 days of the past month outside his state, campaigning for the BJP in the Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh elections. BJP leaders said he was second only to Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a crowd-puller, citing his Hindutva stance, novelty as a campaigner and ability to rouse audiences.

A packed schedule

Over the month, Adityanath addressed 26 rallies across the three states: six in Chhattisgarh, nine in Madhya Pradesh and 11 in Rajasthan. He planned to finish in Rajasthan on December 1 and then spend a day campaigning in Telangana.

Sharp remarks on the trail

At a rally in Bhopal two days earlier, he mocked a remark attributed to Madhya Pradesh Congress chief Kamal Nath that the party needed 90% of Muslim votes in the state. “Kamla Nathji, keep your Ali. Bajrang Bali is enough for us,” Adityanath said.

At Makrana in Rajasthan he accused the Congress of divisive politics, claiming terrorism had peaked under its rule. He said terrorists who had once been fed biryani by the Congress were now being given bullets by his party.

Criticism

The remarks drew objections in Telangana, where he was due to campaign next. AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi said the UP chief minister had “crossed all limits of propriety and constitutional values”, and asked why no one reacted to his speeches while Owaisi himself was accused of polarising rhetoric.

Akhilesh Yadav, who heads the Samajwadi Party, claimed the state administration in Uttar Pradesh had broken down in Adityanath’s absence, and asked sarcastically whether this was what Ram Rajya looked like.

Originally published on 29 November 2018. Rewritten on 9 October 2026.

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