Yogi Adityanath was appointed as the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh after the Bharatiya Janata Party swept the state polls in 2017. He renounced his family at 21 to become a monk and is the high priest of the Gorakhnath Math, a Hindu temple.
Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath. (PTI)
Adityanath was a member of Parliament from the Gorakhpur constituency for five consecutive terms since 1998. He is the founder of the Hindu Yuva Vahini, a Hindu nationalist group.
During his six months in power, Adityanath announced a blanket ban on cow-smuggling, announced farm loan waivers and introduced “anti-Romeo” squads to crack down on harassment of women on the streets.