Milan Vaishnav, the author of When Crime Pays: Money and Muscle in Indian Politics on UPs new chief minister.


"It seems that Yogi Adityanath was the consensus pick of the BJP MLAs in UP, but it's a risky one for Modi. This is perhaps why the BJP leadership has created a troika-like set-up with two deputy CMs. Yogi has no track record of administration -- and this is what UP so desperately needs.


"The cases against him all involve communal violence and creating enmity between communities. This is the last thing that UP needs right now, when it faces massive development challenges and a jobs crisis.


"Yogi is a divisive figure and that divisiveness is intrinsic to his appeal among voters in eastern UP. In the past, he has allegedly exploited tensions between communities and ratcheted them up, rather than dialing them down.


"His hardline rhetoric may be toned down, but it won't disappear. It is who Yogi is. The challenge for Modi is to ensure that it does not completely overtake the development agenda, but everyone -- especially Modi -- knows what you are getting when you pick an Adityanath. There should be no illusions about that."

"The BJP has always balanced development rhetoric with Hindutva. What upsets so many about this selection is the blatant sop to the latter without any evidence of catering to the former."


Vaishnav is also senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for Peace