UP BJP set to pick new state president; Pankaj Chaudhary frontrunner

The BJP is set to reveal the face of its new Uttar Pradesh state president on Saturday (December 13), with the nomination process scheduled to take place in the presence of leaders deputed by the central leadership. The formal announcement of the new state chief is expected on Sunday.

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While speculation has been rife over the appointment, it is now almost certain that Union Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary will be named the UP BJP president. The move is being seen as part of the party’s broader political strategy to sharpen its focus on the OBC vote bank, countering the Samajwadi Party’s PDA narrative, as the BJP begins laying the groundwork for the upcoming Assembly elections.

Nomination process kicks off

The election process for the UP BJP president will begin today. According to information received from the party, the nomination process for the new presidential candidate will take place at the party headquarters from 2 to 3 pm. The name of the new president will be announced on Sunday.

The term of the current state president, Bhupendra Chaudhary, has already ended, after which the appointment of a new president was long-awaited. As per party rules, the voter list for the election has also been released. This includes 5 MPs, 8 Legislative Council members, 26 MLAs, and district presidents.

Chaudhary’s political journey

The BJP has not yet made a formal announcement regarding the new president’s name. However, it is now virtually certain that Union Minister of State for Finance and Maharajganj MP Chaudhary is set to take charge of the BJP in Uttar Pradesh.

Chaudhary is an OBC and belongs to the Kurmi caste and is considered the choice of the party high command. The BJP leadership has carefully chosen his name as part of its strategy for 2027. His long association with the party, starting from scratch and rising to national politics, has worked in his favour. In 1989, Chaudhary contested the municipal councillor election in the Gorakhpur Municipal Corporation. After winning, his political journey continued to move steadily forward.

In 1991, the party fielded him from Maharajganj in the Lok Sabha elections. At the age of 27, Chaudhary became an MP for the first time. Thereafter, he continued to strengthen the BJP’s base in Maharajganj. He has been elected to the Lok Sabha seven times. Under his leadership, the BJP began registering consistent success in the Maharajganj district. At present, the BJP holds four of the district’s five Assembly seats.

Caste calculus for 2027 polls

Chaudhary is regarded as a prominent Kurmi face in Uttar Pradesh. Although he has not worked extensively in the organisational structure, it is being said that the BJP has given its stamp of approval to his name after careful consideration, keeping the 2027 strategy in view. Additionally, he has never been embroiled in any controversy. He is considered a dignified, grassroots leader. At a time when allegations of factionalism often surface within the party, Chaudhary has remained non-controversial.

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Projecting Chaudhary as the frontrunner for the state president’s post also signals the likely direction of the BJP’s political strategy. In the 2027 elections, the party is expected to move forward with a strong OBC-centric approach. In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, a significant section of non-Yadav OBC voters shifted towards the Samajwadi Party, including a substantial share of Kurmi voters.||

Among OBC communities, Kurmis constitute the largest voter group after Yadavs. For the BJP, focusing on Kurmis and reclaiming this support base is a major challenge. In this context, the party has placed its trust in Chaudhary, expecting him to prevent the fragmentation of Kurmi votes and lead the party to victory in the Assembly elections.