Selection of the new Uttar Pradesh BJP President has turned out to be a herculean task for the leadership.
The state unit of BJP is brainstorming about the new president and senior leaders including chief minister Yogi Adityanath have already held discussion with senior leadership in Delhi recently .
However as per high level sources in the party here on Saturday revealed that list of six names has been sent to the national leadership, in which two are Brahmins, two are from backward community and two are from Dalit community.
But it has to be seen whether these names are considered or the Central leadership could go for some other person.
A senior BJP leader said the names suggested by the UP unit are former deputy chief minister Dinesh Sharma and former Basti MP Harish Dwivedi (both Brahmins), current Uttar Pradesh minister Dharampal Singh and current Union minister of state BL Verma (both OBCs), and former Union minister Ramshankar Katheria and current MLC Vidyasagar Sonkar (both Dalits).
Besides this the names of deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya and UP minister Swatantra Dev Singh, both OBCs, are also in the race.
“The organisation has, on its part, suggested suitable names to the central leadership who can be considered for the post of UP BJP president and the leadership is actively evaluating them. A decision is likely in the next two weeks, possibly even earlier,” the BJP leader said.
In fact, panchayat elections are to be held next year in UP, India’s most populous state. At the same time, elections are going to be held in early 2027 and the election of the state unit chief will be done keeping these things in mind.
BJP would like to reverse the defeat in the Lok Sabha elections in the state and win for the third consecutive time in Lucknow. BJP has selected state heads in more than 25 out of 37 organizational units. It is also preparing the name of its next national president.
The leaders selected by the state organisation Rajya Sabha MP Dinesh Sharma, a Brahmin leader, enjoys the trust of the RSS and the top leadership and besides for his clean image and educational qualifications .
Harish Dwivedi, too, is a Brahmin and brings youth and parliamentary experience. He has been an MP from Basti and a national secretary in the party.
Both Dharampal Singh and BL Verma belong to the influential Lodhi community. Singh, a senior minister in the Uttar Pradesh Cabinet, has decades of legislative and ministerial experience. Currently, Union Minister of State Verma is seen as a disciplined and simple organizer, who has a deep connection with the RSS. He enjoys trust within the organization.
Former Union Minister and former Chairman of the National Scheduled Caste Commission Ramashanker Katheria is known for his aggressive stance on Hindutva and Dalit identity. MLC Vidyashanker Sonkar is a simple but loyal party worker who has influence in eastern Uttar Pradesh.
However, apart from these six names, the names of former BJP state presidents Keshav Prasad Maurya and Swatantra Dev Singh have also emerged rapidly.
Keshav Maurya is more discussed in this. According to Maurya’s close associates, he has received a positive message from the top leadership, due to which he has been looking very excited for the last few days.
Regarding the appointment of the new state president in Uttar Pradesh BJP, BJP state spokesperson Avnish Tyagi said, who will be the new state president is to be decided by the top leadership of the party. When the time comes, it will also be announced by the leadership.