Union MoS Pankaj Chaudhary set to be announced U.P. BJP president

Union Minister of State for Finance and seven-time Lok Sabha MP from Maharajganj Pankaj Chaudhary is acceptable to beryllium announced arsenic the Uttar Pradesh portion president of the Bharatiya Janata Party.

Mr. Chaudhary filed his information papers astatine the BJP enactment bureau successful Lucknow connected Saturday (December 12, 2025) successful the beingness of U.P. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and different elder leaders. He is expected to beryllium declared arsenic the State president connected Sunday (December 14) arsenic helium was the lone idiosyncratic to taxable the information for the post.

Mr. Chaudhary filed his papers, and his sanction was projected by 10 elder enactment leaders, including Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and some Deputy CMs Keshav Prasad Maurya and Brajesh Pathak.

“Participated successful the information filing ceremonial of Shri Pankaj Chaudhary ji for the station of Uttar Pradesh BJP president astatine the State BJP bureau successful Lucknow,” wrote CM Mr. Adityanath connected X.

Mr. Chaudhary, a seven-time MP, graduated from Gorakhpur University and started his governmental vocation astatine the section level erstwhile helium served arsenic a councillor of the Gorakhpur Municipal Corporation successful 1989. In 1991, helium was elected arsenic the Lok Sabha MP for the archetypal clip from Maharajganj Lok Sabha spot connected a BJP ticket.

He won the spot again successful 1996, 1998, 2004,2014, 2019 and 2024 representing the party. He was appointed arsenic Union Minister of State for Finance successful the 2nd PM Modi Cabinet.

Caste angle, OBC push

Mr. Chaudhary belongs to the Kurmi caste, coming nether Other Backward Classes (OBC) category. Among the numerically important OBC voters constituting implicit 35% electorate successful the State, Kurmis are the 2nd largest radical aft Yadavs. Kurmis are astir 4.7% of U.P. colonisation according to the 1931 caste census, the past clip caste centred number was done successful the State.

Through Mr. Chaudhary, the BJP is eyeing to consolidate the Kurmi and larger OBC ballot slope for the 2027 Assembly polls. The seven-time MP’s elevation comes astatine a clip erstwhile the Opposition Samajwadi Party (SP) has fixed important roles similar nationalist wide caput to its Kurmi leaders — Ramprasad Chaudhary and Lalji Verma. Mr. Chaudhary’s assignment holds value arsenic the BJP’s state Apna Dal (S), led by Union Minister Anupriya Patel, is besides a contender for the Kurmi ballot bank.

The assignment of Mr. Chaudhary comes aft extended deliberations successful Lucknow and Delhi with B.L. Santosh, BJP nationalist wide caput (organisation) and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) associated wide caput Arun Kumar holding treatment with elder enactment leaders successful U.P. and New Delhi.