Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has said he does not see himself as a political successor (presumably to Prime Minister Narendra Modi).

He instead described himself as a Yogi dedicated to public service. "I am not a successor. I am just a Yogi. And I just want to work as a Yogi," Adityanath said about his political future at the India Today Conclave.

The 52-year-old Chief Minister dismissed speculation around a possible shift to New Delhi for a larger political role. "As Mother India’s helper, I have been given the responsibility of Uttar Pradesh, and I am working in that role only."

He added that he wishes to eventually move back to Gorakhpur, the seat of the Hindu temple Gorakhnath Math. Adityanath has been a five-time Member of Parliament from the Gorakhpur constituency.

"I would like it if, while working, I get a chance to make my way to Gorakhpur. Then, I would be able to take forward my Yogi Dharma," he said at the event.

During the same interaction, Adityanath expressed confidence that his party -- the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) -- would emerge victorious in the upcoming 2027 UP Legislative Assembly elections.

Terming the state poll an "80-20 battle," he said, "80% will be with the BJP and its allies while the remaining 20% will include everyone else."

Adityanath, whose real name is Ajay Mohan Singh Bisht, is the longest serving chief minister of Uttar Pradesh and the only one to have two consecutive terms.