LUCKNOW: With the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) finalising 70 district unit chiefs as part of a major organisational overhaul in Uttar Pradesh, the stage is now set for the long-overdue election of the party’s state president. The race for the top post in the state is intensifying, with several key leaders emerging as frontrunners.
After multiple rounds of deliberations in Lucknow and Delhi, the BJP announced the names of district presidents for 70 out of 98 organisational districts, leaving 28 yet to be declared. However, the number of appointed district chiefs is now sufficient to proceed with the election of the state BJP president.
Among the top contenders for the position are Swatantra Dev Singh, Jal Shakti Minister in the Yogi Adityanath cabinet and a key OBC leader; BL Verma, a Union minister and OBC leader from the Lodh community; Amar Pal Maurya, a Rajya Sabha MP and state general secretary, also from the OBC category; Dinesh Sharma, former deputy chief minister and Rajya Sabha MP from the Brahmin community; and Laxmi Kant Bajpai, another Brahmin leader, Rajya Sabha MP, and former state BJP chief.
Currently, the BJP’s Uttar Pradesh unit is led by Bhupendra Chaudhary, a prominent Jat leader from Moradabad in western UP. However, party insiders suggest that the BJP might consider retaining Chaudhary due to his close ties with the central leadership.
“In either case, the party will weigh the pros and cons related to caste and regional dynamics while electing the new state BJP chief, who will have the responsibility of securing victory for the party in the crucial 2027 assembly elections and the civic polls thereafter,” said a senior BJP leader.
Chaudhary, who replaced Swatantra Dev Singh as state BJP chief in August 2022, was appointed to strengthen the party’s outreach among Jats in western UP amid growing farmer discontent with the central and state governments. However, the BJP’s performance under his leadership in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections was disappointing, as its seat tally in Uttar Pradesh dropped from 62 to 33.
“As per the party’s constitution, a minimum of 50% of the total district presidents is required to complete the process of electing the state president. With the announcement of 70 out of 98 district chiefs, that requirement has now been met,” Chaudhary said. He added that the election of the UP BJP chief could now be completed at any time, depending on the central leadership’s decision.
Union Minister Piyush Goyal has been appointed as the election officer to oversee the process. The party had already decided that the elections for mandal, district, and state presidents would be conducted through consensus rather than voting.
The election of state BJP chiefs across the country is also crucial for the selection of the party’s national president. According to the BJP’s constitution, the election process for the national president can proceed only after at least 50% of the state chiefs and other office-bearers have been elected.
“So far, only a dozen states have been able to elect their state presidents and other office-bearers,” said a senior BJP leader, hinting that the election of the national BJP president could face further delays.
Current BJP president and Union Minister JP Nadda, who succeeded Amit Shah in 2019, has been serving on an extended term. The BJP’s organisational elections in Uttar Pradesh, which began in November 2024, have been ongoing for the past three months.