With the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) preparing for the next confrontation in Uttar Pradesh, the wait for the new UP BJP chief’s appointment is at its zenith. Now, with state elections in 2027 and the freshly formed scars from the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the picking of the Pradesh BJP head is critical in recovering the party’s standing and reconciling key voter segments.
The Importance of the UP BJP Chief’s Posting
The BJP has barely registered an election win ever since UP was in the hands of the Samajwadi Party, as it served as West India’s strongest political advocate. The BJP was largely successful, capturing 62 Lok Sabha seats in 2019; now, with the decline from 62 to 33 due to caste-driven opposition alliances, the party and its leaders have to rethink their leadership arrangements, specifically those with the UP BJP chief seat.
The party now contests the strong focus on the role of OBC leaders to challenge the Samajwadi party’s PDA, the Pichhda, Dalit, Alpsankhyak strategy. As the Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is also from the Thakur community, it is more likely for the BJP to nominate a Dalit or OBC for the State Chief position, hoping to widen their voter appeal.
The Six Names on BJP’s Shortlist
As per several sources and insiders, the BJP unit in UP has submitted a refined list of six names for consideration by the central leadership. As is common with BJP’s nominations, this select list includes two representatives each from the Brahmin, OBC, and Dalit communities and is an effort to parallel Uttar Pradesh’s socio-political structure.
- Dr. Dinesh Sharma – Brahmin; Former Deputy Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh
- Harish Dwivedi – Brahmin; Former Member of Parliament and ex-National Secretary
- Dharmapal Singh – OBC (Lodh); Senior Minister in the Uttar Pradesh Cabinet
- B.L. Verma – OBC (Lodh); Union Minister of State, with an RSS background
- Ram Shankar Katheria – Dalit; Former Union Minister and Chief of the National SC Commission
- Vidyasagar Sonkar – Dalit; Member of the Legislative Council (MLC) with influence in eastern Uttar Pradesh
Why Caste Is Central to the Choice
This selection is more than an organizational matter; it seeks to shift the balance toward other key constituencies in the state. Party strategists believe that putting forth an OBC or Dalit face might mitigate the SP’s firm grip on the non-Yadav OBC and non-Jatav Dalit populations, reviving the NDA’s once strong socio-political alliance.
Historically, the party has never appointed a Dalit UP president; doing so would mark a significant step in strengthening the Dalit base, especially with the SP and BSP vying for their support. Meanwhile, Brahmins and OBCs continue to hold significant sway in the BJP’s support base. Therefore, the line-up includes recognizable Brahmin names such as Dinesh Sharma and Harish Dwivedi and OBC heavyweights Dharmapal Singh and B. L. Verma, ensuring these groups that their interests remain central to the BJP’s plans.
Political Stakes and Future Circumstances
It is OP’s and the Dalit Chief’s sentiment that the Undersecretary of the BJP is yielding and likely to be one of the candidates that is chosen both symbolically and due to the Dalit election considerations. Senior party officials said that the ascertainment of the decision is going to balance merit, loyalty, and the skill to mobilize the party before the election period.
Being the former Deputy Chief Minister, Katheria connotes that the BJP is intending to retake the heroic image of Dalits that the Samajwadi party had been projecting after the departure of Mayawati. Equally important, to his party and the leaders of the central branches, part of his unique support is for the BJP.
Further Steps and Deadlines
The waits traditionally are the most intense, and in this specific case, in the rigid party structure, such maintenance can occur only about the issue of the chairman of the party. The last Maryland congressman of the last century has also been active, and subsequently, his party is wanted and waits for the new head of the branches.
In closing
The new BJP head in UP will not only head the organizational aspects of the party but also will act as the face of the party’s attempt to regain the non-Yadav OBC and Dalit support. The choice—between an ex-deputy CM and determined Dalit and OBC strategists—will determine the extent to which the BJP responds to fierce opposition and strategizes for the assembly elections in 2027 and the wider struggle to maintain its dominance in the Lok Sabha.
