BJP Reshuffles Uttar Pradesh Unit, Prioritises Caste Representation Ahead of 2027 Polls

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has announced a new set of office bearers for its Uttar Pradesh unit, replacing all six regional presidents. The move comes weeks after the party's performance in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections in the state, where it won 33 seats, down from 62 in 2019. The Samajwadi Party, led by Akhilesh Yadav, secured 37 seats, its best ever in Uttar Pradesh.

The new team, announced on Thursday by state BJP president Pankaj Chaudhary, comprises 64 members, including 19 vice presidents, eight general secretaries, and 19 state ministers. The list was finalised after consultations between Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, senior state leaders, and the party's central leadership. The party said it aimed to maintain regional balance and include women and youth.

A significant aspect of the reshuffle is the focus on representation from Other Backward Classes (OBCs). Four of the six new regional presidents belong to OBC communities: Nawab Singh Nagar (west Uttar Pradesh), Puran Lal Lodhi (Braj), Ramkishor Sahu (Kanpur), and Ashok Chaurasia (Kashi). Of the 64 office bearers, 29 (about 45 per cent) are from OBC categories, including 13 different sub-castes such as Kurmi, Jat, Yadav, Pal, Gurjar, Shakya, and Lodhi. The party has given two posts each to Yadavs and three each to Jats and Kurmis.

Among the new general secretaries, Geeta Shakya, Shankar Lodhi, Dilip Patel, and Rajesh Chaudhary represent the Shakya, Lodhi, Kurmi, and Jat communities respectively. Pooja Pal and Dhruv Vijay Shakya have also been included to ensure non-Yadav OBC representation. In western Uttar Pradesh, Jat leaders have been given prominence, with Mohit Beniwal, an IIT Delhi alumnus, reappointed as vice president, and Devendra Singh chosen as state president of the Kisan Morcha.

For Scheduled Castes (SC), the BJP allocated four posts to the Pasi community, and one each to Valmiki and Jatav communities. Seven SC members (about 11 per cent) and one ST member (2 per cent) from the Gond community have been included in the team. The party also inducted leaders from the Nishad, Bind, Maurya, Rajbhar, and other extremely backward classes.

The BJP's strategy appears to target non-Yadav OBCs, who form a large section of Uttar Pradesh's population. In the 2024 elections, many of these voters are believed to have shifted towards the Samajwadi Party, which campaigned on its "PDA" formula (Pichhda, Dalit, Alpsankhyak - Backward, Dalit, and Minority). The new team aims to broaden the party's appeal among these communities ahead of the 2027 assembly elections.