After the melodrama of the Uttar Pradesh (UP) elections, the news of Yogi Adityanath becoming the Chief Minister of the state has taken many by surprise. While the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) can justify that their selection is absolutely within the democratic principles and party decorum, the Opposition will leave no stone unturned to target BJP time and again for the selection of Adityanath.

A Hindu bachelor and hardliner, Adityanath is one of the younger Chief Ministers of India and has a tough job ahead. As a five-time Member of Parliament from UP, his political acumen should be gauged very carefully in the days to follow. Known for his provocative statements against minorities on many occasions, his comments have dragged him into controversy in the past. He even clashed with Nobel laureate Mother Teresa for the conversion of Hindus to Christianity, and compared Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan to Pakistani terrorist Hafiz Saeed. His inflammatory statements were condemned by BJP as well non-BJP officials on various occasions.

UP is home to nearly 200 million people, including 40 million Muslims. The state has been tagged politically as a sensitive one, and a decisive force in the formation of India’s federal government, because of its huge population. The state alone represents 14 per cent of the total 543 Lok Sabha seats. With many superlatives, UP is still lagging behind its counterparts, like Bihar and Odissa, in terms of development and alleviation of poverty. Its per capita income is far behind other states like Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram.

Politicians, time and again, have used the state’s minority Muslims as a vote bank. In election after election, promises after promises were made, but there has been no remarkable change in the day-to-day living conditions of the people. The state is undergoing a severe economic crisis, reeling under caste-based politics, craving for basic amenities, infrastructure and improvement in social framework. At this juncture, assembly elections in February 2017 came as a catalyst. People with high hopes voted for BJP overwhelmingly, under the governance of Narendra Modi at its centre.

Now, it is the duty of Adityanath to fulfil their expectations. He has to work for the betterment of the people, bundle his rhetoric and develop a harmonious relationship, with good and unbiased governance. UP residents are not expecting overnight improvement from Adityanath, but, they definitely expect better performance, in consonance with the so-called mantra of the Modi government: ‘Sabka vikas, sabke saath’ (development for all, with all). That performance will be the yardstick for BJP’s win in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

- The reader is an office manager in a private company in Abu Dhabi.