Caste At The Core? BJP Weighs Brahmin, OBC Faces For Occasion’s UP Chief Put up
Final Up to date:
The Uttar Pradesh BJP unit has formally submitted a shortlist of six contenders to the central management — two Brahmins, two OBCs, and two Dalits.
Harish Dwivedi (left), BL Verma (centre) and Dinesh Sharma (proper) are among the many candidates being thought-about for UP BJP chief. (Picture: PTI, X)
Who will steer the Bharatiya Janata Occasion (BJP) in India’s most decisive political battlefield? Because the BJP prepares to nominate a brand new Uttar Pradesh chief from a shortlist of six names, Brahmins and OBCs have emerged frontrunners within the choice that would outline the celebration’s technique for the 2027 meeting polls.
The Uttar Pradesh BJP unit has formally submitted a shortlist of six contenders to the central management — two Brahmins, two OBCs, and two Dalits. Sources say the excessive command is actively evaluating the names, with a call possible within the subsequent two weeks, probably earlier. The brand new state chief will substitute Bhupendra Singh Chaudhary, a Jat chief from western UP, who has been in workplace since 2022. Chaudhary’s tenure, whereas targeted on consolidating Jat and non-Yadav OBC assist, noticed the BJP undergo sudden losses within the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, prompting an pressing rethink on the organisational degree.
Why Caste Math Issues
Caste arithmetic is on the coronary heart of the BJP’s deliberations. Whereas explaining the significance of caste equations in UP, Shashikant Pandey, head division of political science, Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar College, Lucknow, and a political professional mentioned Uttar Pradesh has all the time been a political chessboard the place social equations could make or break electoral fortunes. “The BJP’s setback within the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, the place the Samajwadi Occasion surged to the forefront, has heightened the necessity for a brand new technique. Discontent amongst Brahmins, mixed with a shifting OBC vote financial institution, is forcing the BJP to fastidiously weigh its subsequent transfer,” factors out Pandey.
The leaders near the decision-making course of admit that the brand new president should bridge each gaps whereas making certain cohesion with Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s management.
A Decade-Lengthy Development
Since 2014, the BJP has alternated between Brahmin and OBC leaders to take care of steadiness amongst its assist bases. In 2014, Laxmikant Bajpai, a Brahmin, headed the state unit because the BJP swept the Lok Sabha elections. Keshav Prasad Maurya, a Maurya OBC, was appointed in 2016 and led the celebration into its huge 2017 meeting win. Mahendra Nath Pandey, a Brahmin, guided the 2019 basic election marketing campaign, whereas Swatantra Dev Singh, a Kurmi OBC, took the reins for the 2022 meeting elections. Bhupendra Singh Chaudhary, a Jat, adopted, however his tenure coincided with the celebration’s disappointing 2024 Lok Sabha efficiency.
The Brahmin Choice
Harish Dwivedi, a two-term MP from Basti, is rising because the strongest Brahmin contender. Although he misplaced his seat in 2024, Dwivedi stays well-regarded for his organisational abilities and shut ties with the BJP’s central management. Having earlier led the state’s youth wing and held duties as in-charge of Assam, Dwivedi can be thought-about near Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. His elevation would goal to handle murmurs of discontent amongst Brahmins whereas injecting youth and power into the state management.
The OBC Contenders
Amongst OBC aspirants, Union Minister of State BL Verma is being seen as a secure and regular alternative. An extended-time affiliate of the late Kalyan Singh, Verma is praised for his low-profile fashion and RSS roots. His appointment would strengthen the BJP’s maintain on non-Yadav OBCs, an important bloc to counter the SP’s rising affect.
Additionally in competition is Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya, a distinguished Maurya OBC chief who earlier served as UP BJP president throughout the 2017 landslide. Maurya is understood for his join with celebration employees and for asserting that the “organisation is larger than the federal government.” Whereas hypothesis persists about his dissatisfaction along with his present position, his caste base and confirmed file make him a formidable candidate.
Different Names in Circulation
The shortlist additionally contains Dinesh Sharma, a Brahmin chief and former Deputy Chief Minister with robust RSS backing; Ram Shankar Katheria, a Dalit chief and former Union minister identified for his Hindutva credentials; and Vidya Sagar Sonkar, a Dalit MLC recognised for his loyalty and quiet organisational work. Nonetheless, celebration insiders recommend the true contest lies between the Brahmin and OBC candidates, with Dalit contenders unlikely to be favoured this time.
A Essential Name for the BJP
The senior BJP political analysts in UP mentioned that for the BJP, the selection of its new UP chief is about greater than balancing caste equations. The chief might want to energise the cadre, reconnect with communities drifting away, and complement Yogi Adityanath’s management with out overshadowing him. “We’re in search of somebody who is suitable to each the organisation and the communities that kind our spine,” a senior BJP chief mentioned. “This choice will set the stage for 2027.”
view feedback
- First Revealed:
