UP BJP to Announce New State President Today; Remembering Kalraj Mishra’s Unique Record

Lucknow: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Uttar Pradesh is set to announce its new state president today, following the complete election process. The formal declaration will be made by the Central Election Officer, Piyush Goyal, on Sunday.

Nomination Process to Decide Leadership

On Saturday, nominations for the state president post will be open from 2 PM to 3 PM at the party office. This session will clarify who will take charge as the next president. Traditionally, the BJP has chosen its state presidents unopposed, and the same is expected this time.

The only exception occurred in 2000, when Ram Kalraj Mishra was widely supported as the consensus candidate, but Ram Prakash Tripathi also submitted his nomination. He later withdrew it, restoring the practice of electing presidents by unanimity.

Kalraj Mishra: The Only Repeat President

Currently, Bhupendra Chaudhary serves as the 14th UP BJP president. From the party’s first president, Madho Prasad Tripathi, to the present, Kalraj Mishra remains the only leader to have held the post twice: first from 1991 to 1997, and again from 17 August 2000 to 24 June 2002. Other prominent presidents include Kalyan Singh, Rajnath Singh, Om Prakash Singh, Vinay Katiyar, Keshri Nath Tripathi, Ramapati Ram Tripathi, Surya Pratap Shahi, Laxmikant Vajpai, Keshav Prasad Maurya, Mahendra Nath Pandey, Swatantra Dev Singh, and Bhupendra Chaudhary.

Election Schedule

Dr. Mahendra Nath Pandey, BJP’s State Election Officer, released the election schedule on Friday. Key dates include:

• 12 PM, Saturday: Publication of the Provincial Council member list and announcement of the election program
• 2 PM – 3 PM, Saturday: Filing of nominations for State President and National Council members
• 3 PM – 4 PM, Saturday: Verification of nomination papers
• 4 PM – 5 PM, Saturday: Withdrawal of nominations
• 1 PM, Sunday: Official declaration of the new State President and National Council members

Leading Contenders

Among several names, Pankaj Chaudhary emerges as the front-runner. A seven-time MP from Maharajganj, he is a prominent Kurmi face in Eastern UP. Chaudhary is expected to arrive in Lucknow on Saturday for the nomination process. Meanwhile, B.L. Verma, Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food, and Public Distribution, is also under consideration.

Mega Event for Announcement

The BJP plans a grand event for announcing the new president at Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia National Law University, with around 3,500 party workers in attendance. The decision was finalized during a meeting at the state office on Friday, led by National General Secretary Organization B.L. Santosh, who also reached Lucknow on the same day.