Union minister Pankaj Chaudhary sole candidate in fray for UP BJP chief post: Sources

Lucknow/Gorakhpur, Dec 13 (PTI) Union Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary on Saturday filed his nomination papers for the post of the Uttar Pradesh BJP chief, and was the only candidate to do so, party sources said.

A party office-bearer confirmed the development and told PTI that this paves the way for him to get elected unopposed.

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

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Deputy Chief Ministers Keshav Prasad Maurya and Brajesh Pathak and Jal Shakti Minister Swatantra Dev Singh were also present for the submission, party sources said.

In a post on X, Chaudhary said, "Upon arriving at Lucknow airport today, I received a warm welcome from the dedicated party workers. I express my heartfelt gratitude to all the workers for the affection and respect they showed me." Pandey told PTI on Friday that the next state president of the party would be announced on Sunday by the central election officer and Union minister Piyush Goyal.

Political experts say the election of the president in a large state like Uttar Pradesh would be held in view of the upcoming panchayat elections and the 2027 assembly elections, and the candidate with strong regional and caste equations would be chosen.

Chaudhary is a seven-time MP from the Maharajganj parliamentary constituency. A member of the Kurmi caste, categorised as Other Backward Classes (OBC), he is considered a trusted confidante of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.

The Kurmi community holds significant sway within the OBC community throughout Uttar Pradesh, and in the 2024 Lok Sabha and 2022 assembly elections, they showed their inclination towards the state's main opposition party, the Samajwadi Party.

In Uttar Pradesh, the BJP has appointed leaders from the Kurmi community as the state president thrice -- former MP Vinay Katiyar, former minister Om Prakash Singh and Swatantra Dev Singh.

Meanwhile, celebrations broke out at Chaudhary's residence in Gorakhpur. Family members, neighbours and supporters gathered at his residence, where sweets were distributed.

Chaudhary's mother, Ujjawal, said her son's rise was the result of years of consistent hard work. "He is a very simple and hard working man.He cares for everyone and I'm very happy," she said.

His daughter-in-law, Himangi Chaudhary, thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for reposing faith in Chaudhary and entrusting him with the responsibility of leading the party in the state.

There is happiness across the family, including among the grandchildren, she told reporters. "The formal announcement will be made tomorrow." Local residents said Chaudhary was a hardworking and approachable leader and expressed confidence that he would effectively discharge his new role. The family is also planning a grand welcome for his arrival in Gorakhpur after the formal announcement. PTI NAV COR CDN SKY SKY