Recognise this young boy? He is Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh now

Jan 23,2022

Do you recognise this young boy? Born on June 5, 1972, in Pauri Garhwal district of present-day Uttarakhand, this young boy is today the face of the Bharatiya Janata Party in India's most populous state, Uttar Pradesh.

This photograph is indeed that of Yogi Adityanath. The childhood photo of the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister was shared by Union Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Twitter. Along with the photograph, Puri commented, "A simple boy from a small village. He wore old clothes and slippers, but he had the resolve to serve people. This is a childhood photo of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath who graduated in Science but dedicated himself to serving the people."

The Bharatiya Janata Party has fielded Yogi Adityanath, a five-time Member of Parliament, from Gorakhpur. He entered Lok Sabha from Gorakhpur when he was just 26.

To recall his political journey, Ajay Singh Bisht (the name given by his parents), met Mahant Avaidyanath of Gorakhnath temple during the Ram Mandir movement in the 90s at an event organised by the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad. Mahant Avaidyanath was also a resident of Uttarakhand.  A few days later, he arrived in Gorakhpur without informing his parents. He renounced the world and took the Guru's initiation. It was then that Ajay Singh Bisht transformed into Yogi Adityanath. 

Yogi Adityanath succeeded Mahant Avaidyanath as the throne of the Mahant of Gorakhnath temple four years later. Mahant Avaidyanath was a four-time MP from Gorakhpur. Yogi Adityanath entered the Lok Sabha from the same seat in 1998 and then remained MP for five consecutive terms till 2017.