Pankaj Chaudhary Files Nomination for UP BJP State President, CM Yogi and Deputy CM Keshav Maurya Propose His Name

Lucknow: All speculation surrounding the appointment of the 18th State President of the Uttar Pradesh Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to an end on Saturday when Union Minister of State for Finance and seven-time MP from Maharajganj, Pankaj Chaudhary, formally filed his nomination for the post.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya proposed his name, making it clear that Pankaj Chaudhary enjoys the complete consensus and backing of the party’s central leadership. Deputy CM Brajesh Pathak and several senior BJP leaders were also present during the nomination process.

High-Profile Presence at BJP State Headquarters

As per the party’s pre-declared schedule, Saturday was fixed as the nomination day. The BJP state headquarters in Lucknow witnessed significant political activity from the morning. Pankaj Chaudhary, who was in Delhi, arrived in Lucknow early and directly reached the party office to submit his nomination papers.

The process was completed in the presence of BJP National General Secretary and Central Election Observer Vinod Tawde, along with Organisational Election In-charge Dr Mahendranath Pandey, further reinforcing that the decision had been taken with full approval from the party’s top leadership.

Consensus Selection Ends All Speculation

The presence of the Chief Minister and two Deputy Chief Ministers as proposers is being viewed as a strong signal that Pankaj Chaudhary’s selection is unanimous. Several names were earlier doing the rounds for the state president’s post, but the filing of nomination has put all conjectures to rest.

Why Pankaj Chaudhary Matters

Pankaj Chaudhary is a seven-time Member of Parliament from Maharajganj and belongs to the Kurmi community, an influential section within the Other Backward Classes (OBCs). His elevation is being seen as a strategic political move by the BJP to counter the Samajwadi Party’s PDA (Backward, Dalit, Minority) narrative by strengthening OBC leadership within the party organisation.

By appointing an OBC leader as the state party chief while the government continues under Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, the BJP has attempted to strike a social and organisational balance between power and representation.

BJP’s Renewed Focus on Purvanchal

Pankaj Chaudhary enjoys a strong political base in Purvanchal, a region considered crucial for upcoming Assembly and Lok Sabha elections. In the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, the Samajwadi Party made significant inroads in several Purvanchal seats, despite BJP strongholds such as Varanasi and Gorakhpur.

Under Pankaj Chaudhary’s leadership, the BJP is expected to work on a comprehensive strategy to regain lost ground in eastern Uttar Pradesh and consolidate its organisational strength at the grassroots level.

Formal Announcement on December 14

According to the schedule announced by Organisational Election In-charge Dr Mahendranath Pandey, the formal declaration of the new state BJP president will be made on December 14. Since Pankaj Chaudhary is the sole nominee, his unopposed election is considered certain.

With his elevation, a new organisational phase is set to begin in Uttar Pradesh BJP. Pankaj Chaudhary will face the critical challenge of leading the party into the 2027 Assembly elections and the 2029 Lok Sabha elections, while mounting a strong challenge to the opposition.