New Delhi, June 5 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday extended birthday greetings to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and appreciated his efforts towards the development and progress of the state.

Taking to the social media platform X, PM Modi said, “Best wishes to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, Yogi Adityanath Ji on his birthday. His work towards the state’s progress is noteworthy. He has always focused on improving the quality of life for people and ensuring all-round growth. Praying for his long and healthy life.”

Yogi Adityanath, born on June 5, 1972, in Pauri Garhwal, Uttarakhand, is a Hindu monk and political leader. He is a senior figure in the BJP and is the only leader to have served two consecutive full terms as the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, one of India’s most politically significant states.

He left home in the 1990s to join the Ram Temple movement in Ayodhya and was associated with the campaign surrounding the demolition of the Babri Masjid. During that period, he became a disciple of Mahant Avaidyanath, the then head of the Gorakhnath Math.

CM Yogi currently serves as the mahant, or chief priest, of the Gorakhnath Math in Gorakhpur. He is widely known for promoting Hindutva ideology and has played a key role in BJP election campaigns since 2017. His government’s strict actions against alleged illegal constructions, often carried out using bulldozers, earned him the popular nickname “Bulldozer Baba”.

Born as Ajay Singh Bisht in Panchur village of Uttarakhand’s Garhwal region, he was first elected to the Lok Sabha in 1998 from Gorakhpur constituency. He went on to win the seat four more times.

In 2017, he vacated his parliamentary seat after being appointed Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, a position he continues to hold, leading the state for two consecutive terms.

–IANS

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