Pankaj Chaudhary Elected UP BJP President; Key Facts About Party’s New Kurmi Face

Following the announcement, Chaudhary was felicitated by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Deputy Chief Ministers Keshav Prasad Maurya and Brajesh Pathak, along with other senior leaders. He later touched the Chief Minister’s feet to seek his blessings.

Union Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary was on Sunday unanimously elected president of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s Uttar Pradesh unit, a decision announced by Union Minister Piyush Goyal amid loud applause at the party headquarters in Lucknow.

“Today, on December 14, I am very happy to announce that Pankaj Chaudhary has been unanimously elected as the Uttar Pradesh BJP president. It gives me great happiness to make this announcement,” Goyal told party workers.

Following the announcement, Chaudhary was felicitated by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Deputy Chief Ministers Keshav Prasad Maurya and Brajesh Pathak, along with other senior leaders. He later touched the Chief Minister’s feet to seek his blessings.

A seven-time Member of Parliament from Maharajganj in eastern Uttar Pradesh, Chaudhary is currently serving as Minister of State for Finance in the Modi government. His political career began at the grassroots, when he was elected to the Gorakhpur Municipal Corporation in 1989. He went on to serve as deputy mayor before formally joining the BJP in 1990.

Leaders across the party welcomed his elevation. Congratulating him, Union Minister of State B L Verma said, “I extend my congratulations and best wishes to Pankaj Chaudhary. The BJP is a democratic party, and elections are conducted democratically. Whatever decision is taken is accepted by all party workers.”

Minister Kapil Dev Agrawal described the appointment as “a matter of pride”, adding, “He began his political journey as a councillor, served as Deputy Mayor of Gorakhpur, and is a seven-time MP. The high command of the BJP has made a thoughtful decision, and under Chaudhary, the party will achieve new heights in the state.”

BJP MLA Nand Kishore Gurjar also praised Chaudhary, calling him a “very popular leader”. “Normally, after one or two victories, anti-incumbency sets in, but he has continued to win the Lok Sabha seat despite a challenging environment,” he said.

Who is Pankaj Chaudhary: key points

1. Kurmi leader from eastern UP: Chaudhary, 61, belongs to the influential Kurmi community, one of the most prominent Other Backward Class (OBC) groups in Uttar Pradesh.

2. Strategic shift by the BJP: After appointing a Jat leader from western Uttar Pradesh in 2022 amid farmers’ protests, the party’s choice this time reflects a recalibration following setbacks in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, particularly in eastern UP, and with an eye on the 2027 Assembly polls and upcoming panchayat elections.

3. Grassroots political journey: An alumnus of Gorakhpur University, he entered public life through local body politics and later defeated several political heavyweights, including Hari Shankar Tiwari, Virendra Shahi, Akhilesh Singh and Harshvardhan Singh.

4. Long parliamentary career: Chaudhary has represented Maharajganj in the Lok Sabha seven times and is regarded as one of the BJP’s most consistent electoral performers in the region.

5. Close to the Prime Minister: He is considered close to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. During the centenary celebrations of Gita Press in Gorakhpur on July 7, 2023, Modi made an unscheduled visit to Chaudhary’s residence, walking nearly 200 metres from where his convoy was parked due to the narrow lane.

6. Succession at the helm: Chaudhary succeeds Bhupendra Singh Chaudhary, a senior Jat leader from western Uttar Pradesh who was appointed state BJP president in August 2022 during the farmers’ agitation against the Centre’s now-repealed farm laws.

With his appointment, the BJP appears to be placing renewed emphasis on consolidating OBC support in eastern Uttar Pradesh as it prepares for the next round of electoral battles.

(With IANS inputs)