Uttar Pradesh BJP president election expected by early April

The election for a new president of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Uttar Pradesh is expected to happen by the end of March or early April. This timing depends on when the party announces its state council members. Speculation about the new leader suggests that they may come from backward communities, particularly from the Lodh caste. This is notable because of the late Kalyan Singh, a prominent BJP leader from that community. Party leaders indicated that discussions are ongoing about potential candidates. Two names being mentioned are UP minister Dharampal Singh and Union Minister of State BL Verma. However, a senior party member noted that while there are possibilities, no decisions have been made yet. Caste dynamics are significant in Uttar Pradesh politics. In recent elections for 70 district presidents, most were from upper castes. If a Brahmin is chosen for the state president, potential candidates include BJP's general secretary Govind Narayan Shukla or former MP Harish Dwivedi, among others. To proceed with the election of the state president, at least half of the organizational districts must elect their presidents first. The current election officer, Dr. Mahendra Nath Pandey, has overseen elections in 70 out of 98 districts, with announcements for the remaining 28 districts expected soon. The state council members, who play a key role in the election, are selected from each district based on assembly constituencies. The selection process involves representatives from both parliamentary houses, which also needs to be completed before the state president's election can take place. The current president, Bhupendra Singh Chaudhary, has been in office since August 2022. His selection was seen as a move to balance caste representation, especially in western Uttar Pradesh, which is politically significant.