Yogi Adityanath, a Hindu monk-turned-politician, has positioned himself as a Hindutva saviour, blending religious and political authority. Since becoming the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh (UP) in 2017, his leadership has been defined by a Hindutva-driven agenda, strict law enforcement, and centralised governance. While aligning with the broader Hindutva and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ideology, Yogi has cultivated a distinct brand of strongman politics, making him a dominant figure in UP’s politics. This presentation situates Yogi’s rise within historical, religious-cultural, and sociopolitical contexts, challenging conventional political analyses that primarily focus on material factors such as economic performance. I demonstrate that his success lies in the careful crafting of myths around his persona— namely, as a protector of Hindus, a strict administrator, and a swift dispenser of justice—merging his political authority with his role as the head of a religious monastery. His invocation of ‘Ram Rajya’—an imagined and mythical statecraft—through which Yogi promises to restore national greatness and usher in a nation free from Muslim ‘invaders’, corrupt elites, and moral decay. Such rhetorical and mythical narratives targeting Indian Muslims and glorifying a Hindu past cultivate deep emotional ties with his supporters and reinforce his strongman appeal. I also argue that Yogi Adityanath draws authority not primarily from democratic representation and economic performance, but from ascetic renunciation institutionalised through monastic power and translated into state sovereignty. His monkhood authorises rule by distance, discipline, and punishment, making asceticism the very condition of his authoritarian appeal in contemporary Uttar Pradesh.
Satendra Kumar is a social anthropologist and Visiting Mercator Professor at Bielefeld University.
