Union Minister of State for Finance and seven-time MP Pankaj Chaudhary was formally declared the new president of the BJP’s Uttar Pradesh unit on Sunday, marking a significant organisational shift within the party. The announcement was delivered by Union Minister Piyush Goyal, who serves as the BJP’s election in-charge for the state. The event unfolded with a series of traditional rituals, including swasti vachan, shankhnaad and damru recitations, underscoring the ceremonial importance of the moment. In a symbolic gesture of transition, outgoing state president Chaudhary Bhupendra handed over the party flag to Pankaj Chaudhary, officially marking the change in leadership.
The ceremony coincided with the completion of elections for the BJP’s National Council members from Uttar Pradesh. A total of 120 leaders were elected to the council, among them several high-profile figures such as Rajnath Singh, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Deputy CMs Keshav Prasad Maurya and Brajesh Pathak, Bhupendra Chaudhary, Smriti Irani, Surya Pratap Shahi, Swatantra Dev Singh and Ramapati Ram Tripathi. These members will play a decisive role in shaping the party’s national leadership in the coming months.
Pankaj Chaudhary’s elevation is being viewed as a strategic step by the BJP as it seeks to consolidate its support among Other Backwards Classes, particularly the influential Kurmi community to which he belongs. His appointment comes at a time when parts of the Kurmi electorate exhibited signs of dissatisfaction during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, prompting the BJP to recalibrate its caste outreach efforts in Uttar Pradesh. As a seven-term parliamentarian from Maharajganj, Chaudhary brings extensive experience and long-standing organisational credibility to the post.
His candidature enjoyed broad endorsement from senior leaders across the party hierarchy, including Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Deputy Chief Ministers Maurya and Pathak, Union Minister Smriti Irani, former state president Swatantra Dev Singh, Suryapratap Shahi, Suresh Khanna and former Governor Baby Rani Maurya. Large groups of supporters from Maharajganj gathered both at the Lucknow airport and at the party headquarters to mark the occasion, reflecting the strong regional backing he commands.
