Pankaj Chaudhary, 7-Time MP And OBC Leader, Likely To Be New UP BJP Chief: Sources

The BJP is planning to appoint an OBC leader as the state president, considering the 2027 Assembly elections and trying to consolidate non-Yadav votes.

13 Dec 2025, 04:45 · www.ndtv.com

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is likely to appoint Union Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary as its Uttar Pradesh unit chief at a grand ceremony in Lucknow on Sunday. Chaudhary will file his nomination papers today, officials said.

Union Commerce Minister and in charge of the UP organisational elections, Piyush Goyal, and National General Secretary Vinod Tawde will be present at the event.

Who is Pankaj Chaudhary?

Pankaj Chaudhary is a seven-time MP from Uttar Pradesh's Mahrajganj constituency.

The BJP leader comes from a political background, with his mother, Ujjwal Chaudhary, having served as the Maharajganj District Panchayat President. He graduated from Gorakhpur University.

Chaudhary's political career began at the local level when he served as a Member of the Municipal Corporation in Gorakhpur from 1989 to 1991. During this period, he served as Deputy Mayor of the Municipal Corporation for a year. He was later appointed as the Deputy Mayor of Gorakhpur.

Chaudhary became a member of the BJP in 1990.

He was appointed as the Union Minister of State for Finance in the second PM Modi Cabinet.

Caste Dynamics

Chaudhary belongs to the Kurmi community - classified as the Other Backward Classes (OBC) community.

Among OBC voters in the state, Kurmis are the second largest group after Yadavs. Kurmi voters, comprising eight to 10 per cent, influence 30 to 40 seats in the state. They have an impact in the Terai, Kashi, Gorakhpur, Awadh, and Rohilkhand regions.

After Santosh Gangwar was made Governor, Chaudhary emerged as a prominent Kurmi leader in the BJP.

The BJP has also courted Kurmi votes by allying with Anupriya Patel's Apna Dal (Sonelal).

The BJP is planning to appoint an OBC leader as the state president, considering the 2027 Assembly elections and trying to consolidate non-Yadav votes.

Regional Balance

A Cabinet reshuffle is likely after Chaudhary's appointment to maintain regional balance, sources said.

The BJP is likely to increase representation from central UP.

Outgoing state vice-president Bhupendra Chaudhary may also get a place in the Cabinet again. BJP leader Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti is likely to be given an important responsibility.

Some ministers may also be dropped based on their performance, sources said.

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