Yogi Adityanath, considered a symbol of Hindu nationalism in India's most populous state of Uttar Pradesh, seems to be able to maintain his political lead in the state elections.
According to the AFP news agency, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is ahead in the partial counting of votes on Thursday.
The BJP's victory in Uttar Pradesh could pave the way for Modi to succeed Yogi Adityanath, the party's chief in the state, as well as the future prime minister.
According to Indian media reports, the PJP will be the winner in this state of 200 million people, even if it does not have the upper hand. If that happens, the BJP will be the only party to maintain its political supremacy in Uttar Pradesh since 1985.
According to AFP and other fact-checking organizations, the BJP is going to gain the upper hand in three other states through its 'deep pockets, influence on social media and spread of misinformation'.
"We also have to become a Hindu country."
"Like Islam and Buddhism, we have to become a Hindu country," BJP supporter Nira Sinha Warsha told AFP in Lucknow, the capital of Uttar Pradesh.
The Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, which has a larger population than Brazil, has the largest number of members in its central parliament.
According to experts, here BJP leader Adityanath Yogi has proved himself victorious on the basis of his claims regarding sectarian politics, tough policy on crime and economy.
During the election campaign, Yogi Adityanath spoke a lot against the 'enemies of the country', pointing to the enemies of the country towards the Muslims who live in large numbers in this state.
According to AFP, Indian news website The Wire analyzed Yogi Adityanath's election speeches and concluded that he had made anti-Muslim, hate speech and Hindu supremacy on at least 100 occasions. Spoke of
Author and journalist of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's autobiography, Nilanjan Makhupadhyay, says that in the last five years, Yogi has portrayed himself as the darkest image of saffron (color of Hinduism) than Modi.
He said the victory of the PJP would "confirm the growing aggressive politics".
From the Head Pandit of the temple to the Chief Minister
Yogi Adityanath, the then Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, emerged from a backward background and became the head of the Pandits of an important Hindu temple and formed a group of like-minded youth.
According to AFP, members of his "volunteer group" began torturing Muslims and other lower-caste Dalits, accusing them of slaughtering cows considered sacred to Hindus. He also accused Muslims of seducing Hindu women.
After becoming the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh in 2017, Yogi Adityanath had also banned 'Lujhad'. The government prosecuted those who criticized the order, including journalists, for treason.
According to media reports, at least 100 people belonging to the Muslim and Dalit communities were extrajudicially killed by the police during Yogi Nath's rule, while Yogi Adityanath denies the allegations.
