Yogi Adityanath under fire from colleagues over bypolls loss

Hailed as one of the architects of the party's victory in the recently concluded Tripura assembly elections, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath has come under attack from his own colleagues following humiliating defeats in the Gorakhpur and Phulpur Lok Sabha by-polls.

Prominent OBC leader and former BJP MP Ramakant Yadav attributed the loss to the ''anti-Dalit/OBC attitude'' of the state government.

''The state government has turned a blind eye to the interests of the Dalits and OBCs.....it cost us the by-elections,'' said Yadav, who had contested against Samajwadi Party (SP) patron Mulayam Singh Yadav from Azamgarh seat in 2014 LS polls and lost by a small margin.

The leader sought an immediate course correction. ''We are certain to lose heavily in 2019 if corrective measures are not taken,'' he remarked during an informal chat with reporters in Azamgarh.

Another senior state BJP leader here also sought to corner Adityanath over the loss and said that those affiliated with the Gorakhpur based Gorakhnath Temple did not want the seat to be won by someone, who had no connection with the 'Mutt'. Adityanath is the 'mahant' (religious head) of the Gorakshpeeth.

The leader also claimed that the workers of the Hindu Yuva Vahini, a saffron outfit, which was founded by Adityanath around 15 years back and was mainly active in the Gorakhpur and its adjoining districts, also did not actively take part in the campaigning nor did they ensure that BJP supporters came out to vote on the polling day.