BJP is preparing for a change in the UP president. The party is considering appointing a Dalit face as president before the 2027 assembly elections. Potential names include Vinod Sonkar, Ram Shankar Katheria, and Babu Ram Nishad.
UP Politics: Major changes are expected in the BJP organization in Uttar Pradesh before the 2027 assembly elections. The party has clarified that the state unit will get a new president in a few months. Currently, Bhupendra Singh Chaudhary is the UP BJP president and a member of the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council.
BJP's New Experiment
BJP is planning something new before the 2027 assembly elections. The party will try to respond effectively to the allegations made by the Samajwadi Party (SP) and Congress. In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, both these parties accused the BJP of being anti-constitution and anti-Dalit. These parties succeeded in conveying this accusation to the public, which caused losses for the BJP. Now the party is strategizing to counter these allegations.
Possibilities of a Dalit Face
BJP may appoint a Dalit leader to the post of UP unit president. Several influential leaders are contenders for this post, including former MPs. Prominent among them are Vinod Sonkar, Ram Shankar Katheria, Babu Ram Nishad, BL Verma, and Vidyasagar Sonkar.
Vinod Sonkar: He has been a Member of Parliament from the Kaushambi Lok Sabha constituency and has been an MP for 10 consecutive years.
Ram Shankar Katheria: He has been a Member of Parliament from the Etawah Lok Sabha constituency and has also been a Member of the Legislative Assembly from Agra.
Babu Ram Nishad: He was elected to the Rajya Sabha from Uttar Pradesh in 2022 and has also been a Minister of State with status in the Yogi government.
BL Verma (Banwari Lal Verma): He is a minister in the central government and became a Rajya Sabha MP in 2020.
Vidyasagar Sonkar: He is a member of the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council and has also been an MP from Jaunpur.
Priority to Western UP
According to sources, the BJP may again appoint a leader from Western UP as president this time. The main reason for this is regional balance, as Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath himself comes from Purvanchal. By prioritizing Western UP in the organization, the BJP may try to achieve balance.
The selection of the new UP BJP president will be done by the BJP high command, and a final decision on this will be taken soon.
