The BJP is expected to appoint Union Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary as the new president of its Uttar Pradesh unit at a ceremony in Lucknow on Sunday. He is set to file his nomination papers today. Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal, who is overseeing the party’s organisational elections in UP, and BJP National General Secretary Vinod Tawde will attend the event.
Who is Pankaj Chaudhary?
Pankaj Chaudhary is a seven-time Member of Parliament from Maharajganj in Uttar Pradesh. He comes from a political family—his mother, Ujjwal Chaudhary, was the District Panchayat President of Maharajganj. A graduate of Gorakhpur University, Chaudhary began his political career at the local level, serving as a municipal councillor in Gorakhpur between 1989 and 1991 and later as Deputy Mayor. He joined the BJP in 1990 and became Union Minister of State for Finance in the second Modi government.
The Cast Dynamics
Chaudhary belongs to the Kurmi community, an OBC group that holds significant electoral influence in Uttar Pradesh. Kurmis form around 8–10% of the population and can affect outcomes in 30–40 assembly seats across regions such as Terai, Kashi, Gorakhpur, Awadh, and Rohilkhand. After Santosh Gangwar was appointed Governor, Chaudhary emerged as a key Kurmi leader within the BJP.
The party has also worked to attract Kurmi voters through its alliance with Anupriya Patel’s Apna Dal (Sonelal). With an eye on the 2027 Assembly elections, the BJP appears keen to appoint an OBC leader to strengthen support among non-Yadav OBC voters.
Why the BJP Bet on Chaudhary
Political experts say that keeping the upcoming panchayat and assembly elections in mind, the BJP has placed its bet on Chaudhary, who comes from the OBC Kurmi community. After the Yadavs, the Kurmi community has the largest population in the state. Traditionally considered a BJP vote bank, a section of the Kurmi voters shifted towards the Samajwadi Party under the PDA banner in the last Lok Sabha elections. Taking this into account, the BJP has made a calculated political move.
