Union Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary on Sunday was named the new president of the BJP's Uttar Pradesh unit. The decision was formally announced at the state capital by Union Minister Piyush Goyal in the presence of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Deputy Chief Ministers Keshav Prasad Maurya and Brajesh Pathak.
A seven-time Lok Sabha MP from the Maharajganj constituency, Chaudhary belongs to the OBC Kurmi community. He is considered a close confidant of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.
Pankaj Chaudhary filed his nomination 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.
Deputy Chief Minister Maurya said the 2027 assembly election is the next major challenge for the party and asserted that the BJP would secure an overwhelming victory under Chaudhary's leadership. Another deputy chief minister, Pathak, also congratulated Chaudhary on being elected the state BJP president.
Cabinet Minister Dara Singh Chauhan said the party would scale new heights under Chaudhary's leadership, while MSME Minister Rakesh Sachan thanked the BJP's national leadership for the decision and expressed confidence that the party would return to power in the state with a full majority in 2027.
Adityanath, his two deputies, and Jal Shakti Minister Swatantra Dev Singh were present during the filing of the nomination.
ALSO READ:
- 'Positive things for a better Manipur': BJP MLAs head to Delhi amid government formation talks
- Who is Pankaj Chaudhary? Front runner for UP BJP chief is 7-time MP
- New Ram temple in Kolkata? Posters in Salt Lake by BJP leader reveal ambitious plans, after Babri Masjid foundation
- Chicken patty becomes a fresh flashpoint in West Bengal politics; Mamata Banerjee condemns BJP over vendor attack
Following the announcement of Pankaj Chaudhary's election to the post, outgoing state BJP chief Bhupendra Chaudhary handed over the party flag to his successor.
Goyal, who acted as the Central Election Officer, presented Pankaj Chaudhary with his certificate of election.
BJP leaders congratulated Chaudhary on his appointment and expressed confidence in the party's prospects under his leadership in the state where assembly polls will be held in 2027.
Senior BJP leader Dinesh Pratap Singh said Chaudhary was fully capable of providing strong leadership to the party and thanked the central leadership for reposing its trust in him.
