The just concluded 45-day Mahakumbh in Prayagraj was not a religious show but a huge political show. This event was unlike the Ram temple inauguration in Ayodhya or the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor in Varanasi where Prime Minister Narendra Modi took center stage; this was largely about Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. The event not only buttressed his image as a leader outside the state, but bolstered him over a large number of BJP contemporaries, who have failed to project themselves similarly.
Adityanath took stout measures to fend off attacks by the opposition accusing mismanagement. He himself authorized cleanliness drives at the ghats, dined with the sanitation workers and felicitated police personnel. The UP government said the Mahakumbh attracted a record million pilgrims, by showing the scale of the event.
But a tragic stampede on January 29, the holiest day of the Kumbh, at least 30 people died and over 60 were injured at a gathering that started out well. Citing continued surging crowds that forced their way behind barricades in a kind of rush to the holy riverbanks, the incident was described. Adityanath was able to add to his political standing with no other major slip-ups, allowing the tragedy to be handled with less compassion.
Political circles are speculating about Adityanath’s shift to Delhi. But his handling of the Mahakumbh has also helped his standing in UP, making such a step increasingly difficult. Moved by the significance of the last, the RSS General Secretary Dattatreya Hosabale also attended the event, while the final decision was with BJP’s ideological parent — Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the party leadership.
On the other hand, opposition leaders Akhilesh Yadav and his party leaders took part in the ritual dip at the Sangam. Still, the key figures like Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi stayed away from this ritual.
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