Good that Yogi Adityanath is not fighting from Ayodhya: Ram temple chief priest

The banks of the river Sarayu is lit up on the eve of the groundbreaking ceremony of the Ram temple, in Ayodhya on August 4, 2020. Pic/AFP

The chief priest of the Ram temple in Ayodhya on Monday said it is good that Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath is not contesting the state Assembly polls from this seat as he would have faced a lot of opposition.

Acharya Satyendra Das said he had earlier suggested that Adityanath should contest from Gorakhpur as people whose houses and shops were demolished here due to infrastructure projects in the wake of the construction of the temple were opposing him. "It's good that Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is not contesting from here. I had suggested it earlier and advised that it will be better that he contest from any seat of Gorakhpur," said Das. Meanwhile, a prominent seer said a saint can't be a CM, in an apparent reference to Yogi.

UP CM Yogi Adityanath distributes BJP pamphlets during a party election campaign, in Ghaziabad on Sunday. Pic/ANI

Acharya Satyendra Das, who is the chief priest of the makeshift Ram Lalla temple, said he advised Adityanath not to contest from Ayodhya after "asking Ram Lalla (Lord Ram)". The seers in Ayodhya have divided opinion and those whose houses and shops were demolished are against him, the 84-year-old priest said.

"All are saying that it's his work. This opposition is there. I said he better go there [Gorakhpur]," the priest said. "He would have won from here but could have faced problems," he added.

UP CM Adityanath during a campaign, in Ghaziabad on Sunday. Pic/ANI

There was a buzz that Adityanath would contest from Ayodhya but the BJP decided to field him from the Gorakhpur (Urban) seat.

Saint can't be a CM: Seer

Meanwhile, a prominent seer said a saint cannot be a chief minister as after taking the oath of secularism as a constitutional dignitary, he cannot stay "religious", in an apparent reference to Adityanath. Agencies

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No. of phases in the Uttar Pradesh assembly election

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