Warm birthday greetings to UP's hardworking CM: PM Modi wishes Yogi Adityanath

PM Modi on Tuesday extended his greeting to Yogi Adityanath. PM Modi tweeted: “Warm birthday wishes to Uttar Pradesh’s hardworking Chief Minister @myogiadityanath Ji. Yogi Ji is unwavering in his effort to transform the state. I wish him a long and healthy life in service of the people.”

Yogi Adityanath has been in office since March 2017 and has a firebrand image as a right-wing leader. He was appointed Chief Minister after serving five terms as Member of Parliament of Lok Sabha from Gorakhpur. He is also the Mahant of Gorakhnath Math in Gorakhpur.

He has come under fire in recent times over bypoll losses in Gorakhpur, Phulpur, Kairana and Noorpur assembly.

Earlier, a local businessman celebrated the occasion with a 46 kg laddoo and by cutting a saffron-coloured cake.

Yogi never celebrates his birthday, but his supporters celebrated it in a grand manner and decorated traffic islands with saffron-coloured balloons. Apart from many BJP leaders, Hindu Yuva Vahini general secretary P K Mall was also present at the function. "It took around seven hours to prepare the laddoo as five workers were making it since 8 am and the laddoo was ready around 4 pm," Santosh Maurya , a trader said.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday met BJP president Amit Shah, their first meeting after defeats suffered by the party in the recent bypolls in the state.

There was no official comment on what transpired in the meeting, but they are believed to have discussed the evolving political situation in the state where opposition parties have joined hands to challenge the BJP.

The party has also witnessed dissenting voices from within, including some MPs and MLAs, over the functioning of the state government.

Politically, Uttar Pradesh is considered by far the most important state, especially for the BJP as the party had swept it in 2014 Lok Sabha polls. The state sends the biggest contingent of 80 MPs to the Lok Sabha, out of which the saffron party had won 71 in the last elections while its ally won another two. However, the BJP's tally from the state has come down following the bypoll losses.

Shah had recently said that his party is working to grab 50 per cent vote share in the state to weaken any united opposition challenge.