With the suspense in Delhi over BJP National President JP Nadda’s successor still unresolved, the party appears ready to settle a major organisational question in Uttar Pradesh, the country’s largest and most politically influential state.
The new Uttar Pradesh BJP president may be finalised as early as December, a development that has become crucial for both state and national political processes , in run-up to panchayat, assembly polls.
The urgency stems from the fact that whenever a state president is elected, national council members from that state are chosen simultaneously. For Uttar Pradesh, this would include Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the MP from Varanasi, and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, the MP from Lucknow.
Without an elected state chief, the national council cannot be constituted, and the election of the BJP’s national president remains on hold. This has made the UP organisational polls not only important but urgent, with the central leadership pushing to move the process forward.
The BJP on Wednesday announced the appointment of 14 new district presidents in Uttar Pradesh, in a move aimed at maintaining caste balance within the state unit. Among the newly appointed leaders, seven belong to the general category, six to the backward classes, and one to the scheduled caste.
After the selection of 14 new district presidents, the total number of appointments at this level has reached 84. Fourteen organisational districts are awaiting their new presidents. The district presidents will, in turn, elect the new state BJP president.
With panchayat polls scheduled early next year, the BJP is keen to appoint a new state president without delay. The party views these elections as an opportunity for course correction following its relatively weaker performance in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls in Uttar Pradesh.
The urgency to contest the panchayat elections under fresh leadership underscores the party’s determination to strengthen its organisational base in the state.
Within the party, discussions have revolved around two main possibilities, which is selecting an OBC leader or opting for a Brahmin face to regain balance in the state’s social arithmetic.
Among OBC leaders, Cabinet Minister Dharmpal Singh is considered the strongest contender. A former RSS volunteer, Singh is counted among the close associates of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and was also in the race for the post in 2016.
He has extensive administrative as well as political experience, having first become an MLA in 1996 and serving in several BJP-led governments, including as Irrigation Minister in the first Yogi Adityanath cabinet.
At present, he handles the Animal Husbandry and Dairy Development portfolio. His caste base further strengthens his candidature, as the Lodh (Lodhi) community to which he belongs plays a decisive role in nearly 70 assembly and 12 Lok Sabha seats.
Former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Kalyan Singh also hailed from the same community, giving Dharmpal Singh an added symbolic edge.
In case the party does not reach consensus on Dharmpal Singh, Rajya Sabha MP Amarpal Maurya is also being considered. As a state general secretary and someone viewed as close to Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya, he is seen as a viable OBC alternative within the organisation.
Meanwhile, if the BJP chooses to appoint a Brahmin leader to address perceived discontent within the community, the name of Dinesh Sharma are being discussed Dinesh Sharma, a Rajya Sabha MP and former Deputy Chief Minister during Yogi Adityanath’s first term, has long-standing organisational experience and is viewed as a seasoned and credible leader.
In addition to Dinesh Sharma, the name of Govind Narayan Shukla is also being considered from the Brahmin community.
Shukla, also a state general secretary and a member of the Legislative Council, has earned attention for winning his MLC seat unopposed and for his firm handling of organisational matters as the in-charge of the Gorakhpur region.