Pankaj Chaudhary: Reluctant politician to BJP's UP skipper

Gorakhpur (UP), Dec 14 (PTI) Pankaj Chaudhary, fondly known as 'Pinky Babu' among family and friends, was on Sunday named the 17th president of the BJP's Uttar Pradesh unit, with his election being formally announced here by Union Minister Piyush Goyal.

The announcement was made in the presence of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Deputy Chief Ministers Keshav Prasad Maurya and Brajesh Pathak.

Chaudhary, the Union Minister of State for Finance, had filed his nomination papers for the post on Saturday and was the sole candidate in the fray.

He submitted the papers to former Union minister and BJP state election officer Mahendra Nath Pandey and central election observer Vinod Tawde.

A seven-time Lok Sabha MP from Maharajganj and a key Kurmi leader from Purvanchal, Chaudhary is regarded as a strategic choice as the party looks to consolidate its social base and counter the opposition's PDA (Backward, Dalit, and Minorities) narrative ahead of the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls.

Born on November 15, 1964, Chaudhary hails from the Harbanshram Bhagwandas Ayurvedic oil lineage, a prominent local business family known for producing the 'Rahat Rooh' brand.

According to the people close to him, Chaudhary was academically bright and inclined towards social work till his elder brother, Pradeep Chaudhary, persuaded him to enter public life, telling him that politics offered the most effective platform for public service.

Chaudhary began his political career as a municipal councillor at the age of 25 and quickly earned a reputation for executing development works, becoming deputy mayor within a year.

He formally joined the BJP in 1990 and won his first Lok Sabha election from Maharajganj in 1991 during the Ram Temple movement.

Since then, Chaudhary has remained a dominant political figure, known for his soft-spoken demeanour and ability to maintain cordial relations across party lines.

Chaudhary's mother, Ujjawal, said on Saturday that her son's rise was the result of years of consistent hard work. "He is very simple and hardworking. He cares for everyone, and I am very happy," she told reporters.

His daughter-in-law, Himangi Chaudhary, thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Adityanath for reposing faith in him.

She said the family, including his grandchildren, was planning a grand welcome for Chaudhary in Gorakhpur.

Locals described Chaudhary as a hardworking and approachable leader and expressed confidence that he would effectively discharge his new role. PTI COR CDN VN VN