It was on a winter day that advocate Dharmendra walked into the chamber of Shoaib Ahmed Abbasi, the sub -registrar in the Registrar's office at Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh, and informed him that Mahant Avaidyanath, the then Mahant of the Gorakhnath Math, wanted him to sign documents in his capacity as the concerned official to declare Yogi Adityanath his successor. The day was 13 February 1997, when the present Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh was 24 years old.

The sub-registrar was surprised and asked the advocate why he was being made to sign documents as there was a Hindu registrar at the Registrar’s office at Gorakhpur. The advocate replied, “Yogi Avaidyanth personally wants you to sign the paper as he thinks that if a Muslim bears witness to this great tradition and becomes a part of it, it will be in the larger interest of society," recalled Shoaib Ahmed to The Statesman from Gorakhpur.

“I went to the Math following the conversation, where I met the older Mahant Avaidyanath. He explained to me that he wanted to complete the constitutional formalities involved in transferring authority to the younger Yogi, Adityanath. I duly agreed to be a part of this historic process. Soon the older Yogi asked someone to bring Yogi Adityanath to be introduced to us, " said Shoaib.

Describing his first meeting with the present chief minister, Shoaib said, “Yogiji was very boyish then. He looked innocent and soft spoken, he introduced himself to us very modestly. We never anticipated then that this young man would be the chief minister of the most populous state of India."

Shoaib recalled: "When I was made to sign the document, I was full of pride. I told the older Yogi that I will not just sign this but also write in red letters below my signature that I am proud to be a part of this historic transition of authority. And I did that.
“Today, I am so glad Yogi Adityanath has been appointed as the chief minister of the state. I have been getting congratulatory messages from my former colleagues at the department for this. They all probably remember that day. I hope the chief minister will do great service to the people and state of Uttar Pradesh," Shoaib added.