Empty chairs greet Yogi Adityanath in Gujarat

Whatsapp is awash with pictures of empty chairs in Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s election rally in Gujarat. The picture shows Yogi Adityanath sitting on the dais with a big banner behind him saying something about the rally in Gujarati.

That poster even carries the picture of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and party’s national president Amit Shah. There are empty chairs in front with a handful of people sitting in the front row. Two policewomen are also seen in the picture.

The WhatsApp message even says that the said picture has been sent by a journalist named R.K. Goswami and that the picture is from Valsad.

This is the second time a picture has come out in public domain about Yogi’s election campaign in Gujarat. Earlier, a news clip has shown Yogi participating in Gujarat Gaurav Yatra with absolutely no response from the public. The roads were empty through which the yatra rolled in Surat.

Interestingly, after Prime Minister Modi and party’s national president Amit Shah, UP’s Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is the BJP’s star campaigner. Special emissary from Gujarat Ashok Singh had come to Lucknow and sorted out the logistics for Yogi’s election rallies.

The UP CM was in Gujarat for three days starting from November 28 till November 30.

Singh had told this reporter that Yogi is much in demand in Gujarat. “The candidates are asking for Yogi to address just one rally in their constituency. It is not possible to accommodate Yogiji in all over Gujarat but he will address rallies in select region,” Singh had said.

But the pictures coming out of Gujarat through social media belies Singh’s claims. Empty chairs show that even local organisers have failed to marshal enough support that can fill the grounds. Local leaders said that Yogi was in demand from those localities where migrants from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar abound.

But the reports coming out from Gujarat is not that encouraging. After initial cold response, Yogi addressed street meetings in Bhuj, the border district.

BJP general secretary Vijay Bahadur Pathak said that he cannot comment on WhatsApp picture as sometimes these are fake. But he maintained that Yogiji is much in demand in Gujarat. He added that Yogi will go for a second round of canvassing next week. “If people are not coming to his rallies, why will candidates ask for his meeting,” he asked.

The 182-member Gujarat Assembly will go to polls in two phases on December 9 and 14.