Union minister Pankaj Chaudhary takes charge as UP BJP president

Lucknow: The Bharatiya Janata Party on Sunday handed the reins of its Uttar Pradesh unit to Union minister Pankaj Chaudhary, formally announcing his election as state president at a function in Lucknow.

Chaudhary was elected unopposed, with his nomination being the only one filed for the post, signalling a consensus choice by the party’s central and state leadership.

The announcement was made at the Ram Manohar Lohia University campus in the presence of BJP national general secretary and central election observer Vinod Tawde, Union minister Piyush Goyal, who oversaw the election process, and state election officer and former Union minister Mahendra Nath Pandey. Senior leaders, including Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, outgoing state president Bhupendra Singh Chaudhary, deputy chief ministers Keshav Prasad Maurya and Brajesh Pathak, and state general secretary organisation Dharmapal Singh, were also present.

As the result was declared, the auditorium resonated with applause from party workers. Bhupendra Singh Chaudhary handed over the party flag to his successor, marking the formal transfer of organisational responsibility. The BJP also announced the names of 120 newly elected members of its national council from Uttar Pradesh.

Speaking on the occasion, Piyush Goyal said the smooth and unanimous election reflected the BJP’s strong organisational culture and internal discipline.

Pankaj Chaudhary becomes the 17th president of the Uttar Pradesh BJP and the fourth leader from the Kurmi community to hold the post. Leaders from the same community who earlier served as state presidents include Vinay Katiyar, Om Prakash Singh and Swatantra Dev Singh, a fact seen as reinforcing the party’s emphasis on Other Backward Class representation.

Chaudhary’s appointment is widely viewed as a move that strengthens the role of Purvanchal in the state’s political and organisational hierarchy. With Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath heading the government and Chaudhary now leading the party organisation, Gorakhpur has emerged as a key centre of influence within the BJP in Uttar Pradesh.