BJP turns to OBC leader Pankaj Chaudhary for UP top post

LUCKNOW In a clear signal that it's recalibrating its caste arithmetic ahead of the 2027 assembly polls, the Bharatiya Janata Party is set to appoint Pankaj Chaudhary — a seven-time MP from the influential Kurmi community — as its Uttar Pradesh unit chief. The move comes after the party's tally in the state crashed from 62 to 33 seats in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, with eastern UP bearing the brunt of the losses.

Chaudhary filed his nomination papers on Saturday as the sole candidate, making his elevation certain. Union Commerce Minister and in-charge of the UP organisational elections, Piyush Goyal, and National General Secretary Vinod Tawde will attend Sunday's ceremony where the formal announcement is expected.

Chaudhary emerged as the lone candidate after months of speculation around half-a-dozen names shortlisted by the state leadership. Other names that circulated widely included Dinesh Sharma, Harish Dwivedi, Dharampal Singh, BL Verma, Rama Shankar Katheria, and Vidya Sagar Sonkar—two each from the upper castes, OBCs and Scheduled Castes.

Who is Pankaj Chaudhary?

Chaudhary, 61, is a seven-time MP from Maharajganj constituency in eastern Uttar Pradesh. He belongs to the Kurmi community, classified under Other Backward Classes and considered one of the most influential OBC groups in the state.

His mother, Ujjwal Chaudhary, served as Maharajganj District Panchayat President. He graduated from Gorakhpur University.

Chaudhary's political career began at the local level when he was elected to the Gorakhpur Municipal Corporation in 1989. He served as deputy mayor during this period. He joined the BJP in 1990.

Over his political career, he has defeated heavyweights like Hari Shankar Tiwari, Virendra Shahi, Akhilesh Singh and Harshvardhan Singh.

He was appointed Union Minister of State for Finance in the second Modi Cabinet. Beyond politics, he is associated with the corporate sector and serves on the board of an ayurvedic manufacturing firm.

Close to PM Modi

Chaudhary is considered close to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. On July 7, 2023, during the centenary celebrations of the Gita Press in Gorakhpur, the prime minister made an unscheduled visit to Chaudhary's residence. Modi, accompanied by Governor Anandiben Patel and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, walked about 200 metres through a narrow lane to reach Chaudhary's house in Harivansh Gali near Ghantaghar.

Caste arithmetic

Kurmis form 7-8% of the state's population and are the second largest OBC group after Yadavs. They have a presence in 30 to 40 seats across the Terai, Kashi, Gorakhpur, Awadh, and Rohilkhand regions.

The prominent districts with a sizable Kurmi population include Mirzapur, Varanasi, Chandauli, Bhadohi, Sonbhadra, Prayagraj, Kaushambi, Pratapgarh, Bareilly, Kanpur, Unnao and Barabanki.

After Santosh Gangwar was made Governor, Chaudhary emerged as a prominent Kurmi leader in the BJP. The party has also courted Kurmi votes by allying with Anupriya Patel's Apna Dal (Sonelal).

Why a Kurmi now?

Chaudhary will succeed Bhupendra Singh Chaudhary, a veteran Jat leader from western Uttar Pradesh, who was appointed state BJP president in August 2022 in view of the farmers' protests in the region against the Centre's now-repealed farm laws.

If the 2022 decision to install a Jat leader was guided by the farmers' agitation, the current choice appears driven by the setback the BJP suffered in eastern UP in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The party's tally in the state dropped to 33 from 62 in 2019.

"For the BJP, OBC support remains indispensable in Uttar Pradesh," said a senior party leader. "The party's comeback to power in 2017—after a 14-year gap—is widely credited to the backing it received from OBC voters under Keshav Prasad Maurya's leadership as state BJP chief."

The setback in 2024, where a section of non-Yadav OBCs drifted away, forced a strategic rethink. With the 2027 assembly elections barely a year away and three-tier panchayat polls due mid-2026, the BJP has once again placed its bet on an OBC face for the state president's post.

BJP insiders say the drift of Kurmi voters played a key role in the party's losses in eastern Uttar Pradesh, prompting a course correction. "The elevation of an experienced OBC leader like Pankaj Chaudhary will help re-consolidate OBC support, including Kurmis, across the state," a senior BJP leader said.

Breaking tradition

The BJP has ignored regional balance in selecting Chaudhary. This is perhaps the first time that both the head of the state government and the head of the party will hail from the same region. While Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is from Gorakhpur, Chaudhary comes from neighbouring Maharajganj, which falls under the Gorakhpur division.

What's next?

A Cabinet reshuffle is likely after Chaudhary's appointment to maintain regional balance, sources said. The BJP is likely to increase representation from central UP.

Outgoing state vice-president Bhupendra Chaudhary may get a place in the Cabinet again. BJP leader Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti is likely to be given an important responsibility. Some ministers may also be dropped based on their performance, sources said.