The rise of Brajesh Pathak in UP politics

Lucknow, March 25 (IANS) From a student leader to an aide of Bahujan Samaj Party leader Satish Chandra Mishra and then a BSP MP himself to a BJP minister and now a Deputy Chief Minister in the Yogi Adityanath government, the rise of Brajesh Pathak in UP politics has been meteoric.

Pathak, who served as Law Minister in the Yogi government, had quit the BSP to join the BJP on the eve of 2017 Assembly elections.

He was made law minister in 2017 and has now replaced Dinesh Sharma as Deputy Chief Minister, leaving behind several veterans in the party.

Pathak, 57, has gradually emerged as the Brahmin face of the BJP in UP.

His rise in the party that is based on cadres, has apparently caused much heartburn among senior leaders who said that he had got "too much too soon".

Last year, he stirred a controversy when he wrote a letter to Additional Chief Secretary, Medical and Health, and the Principal Secretary, Medical Education, drawing their attention to Yogesh Parveen, the celebrated author, who died before he could get medical attention.

Pathak said that he was contacted when Parveen took ill suddenly. "I myself spoke to the chief medical officer (CMO) and requested him to provide an ambulance and medical facilities it is a matter of regret that even after many hours, he did not get an ambulance and he passed away as a result of not receiving medical care on time," he had written.

The letter started by saying, "At present, the status of health services in Lucknow is a matter of grave concern" and ended with a warning that if matters continue thus, a lockdown might be inevitable.