It was enough to convey that things are going to change drastically and soon, in UP that may not augur well for those who were at the helm of affairs until now
The newly-anointed chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, Yogi Adityanath, perplexed opposition members in the Lok Sabha when he said, "Aap dekhte rahiye, wahan bahut kuchh bandi hone ja rahi hai (You go on watching, many things are going to get banned there (Uttar Pradesh)."
Basking in the glory of BJP's brute majority, Adityanath while delivering his farewell speech as Lok Sabha member in Parliament on Tuesday, repeated his sentence as the MPs from Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party and Congress listened to him in uneasy silence.
It was enough to convey that things are going to change drastically and soon, in UP that may not augur well for those who were at the helm of affairs until now.
Yogi's warning came while replying to Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge's 'dekhte jao' (keep watching) jibe.
Kharge had interrupted Adityanath with the remark when the CM was explaining how UP will become the state of PM Modi's dreams.
PM envisons UP to be bereft of corruption, riots, anarchy and hooliganism, where youth will not be forced to migrate and sisters and mothers will not have to beseech security.
The chief minister could not resist taking potshots at Rahul Gandhi and Akhilesh Yadav who paired to fight UP elections but lost miserably.
"I am 44 years old. I want to tell you, Kharge ji, Rahul ji is 45. He is not here... Nobody from Samajwadi Party is here either. Akhilesh Yadav is 43. I think a big reason for your failure could be that I came in between their pair," said a smiling Adityanath making Congress and SP benches squirm in unease.
Kharge replied, "Your age falls between the two. But now you have come to a responsible position, you have become the chief minister. I congratulate you for it. But you need to maintain standards of the position you hold. When you sit on the chair of the chief minister, you need to keep up its dignity."
A much subdued image of the firebrand persona that he attained because of his fiery speeches, Adityanath was cautious when media asked him about the Supreme Court observation on the contentious issue of Ram Mandir outside Parliament.
"It is a good decision by the court... Both sides should sit together to find a solution," he said.
On his first visit to Delhi as chief minister, Adityanath met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in Parliament. He also went to Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh's residence, met BJP president Amit Shah at party's headquarters and later called on President Pranab Mukherjee.
Adityanath's meeting with Shah and Modi apparently took place to finalise key portfolios for the UP cabinet that has heavyweights such as his deputies, Keshav Prasad Maurya and Dinesh Sharma, besides several others.
According to sources, the most contentious issue is the all powerful home portfolio having police powers that Adityanath is keen to keep to himself. Many party legislators are not comfortable with this.
The portfolios of the 47 UP ministers are expected to be decided after the Adityanath's consultations in Delhi. The ministers were handpicked after the BJP's thumping victory in the state.
There is also a scramble for the finance ministry as the other Deputy Chief Minister Dinesh Sharma wants the prized portfolio, said sources.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "Yogi Adityanath")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}