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Time of India
3 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Spotlight on UP as CM Yogimeets Modi, Shah & Nadda
Lucknow: Four photographs of Uttar Pradesh's deputy chief ministers meeting BJP brass in the past two weeks, followed by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union home minister Amit Shah and party chief JP Nadda on Saturday, have spiced up political discussions in the state. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Social media, too, is abuzz with speculations, in a bid to decode the essence of all these meetings – UP BJP chief Bhupendra Chaudhary and UP BJP organisation secretary Dharampal Singh had a brief meeting with Shah as he departed from here as a changeover airport while coming from Rudrapur in Uttarakhand after attending a programme. Of the four photographs, three were of deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya's meeting with Union home minister Amit Shah on July 8, with defence minister Rajnath Singh on July 9 and with Governor Anandiben Patel on July 11. The fourth photograph was that of deputy chief minister Brajesh Pathak also meeting Amit Shah, but on July 17. Even as politics behind such meetings of the Deputy CMs was being decoded by political pundits and party workers alike, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath also went to Delhi on Saturday and met Prime Minister Narendra Modi, home minister Amit Shah and BJP president JP Nadda. According to sources, the CM discussed UP's development projects with the PM. One thing appears certain is that the central leadership has now decided to take up the long-due issues around UP. Sources said that many developments were expected to take place both at the national as well as at the state level, like election of new national BJP chief, a new UP BJP president and reshuffles at the govt level both at the Centre and in the state. Discussions around UP-centric issues would have certainly come up during these meetings, sources said, adding that out of 37 BJP organisational states, new BJP chief have been finalised in at least 33, barring states like UP, Gujarat and Delhi. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The only question is, will these states or UP alone get a new BJP chief before the national president is elected? Sources said discussion was also possible around developments expected to come up after the UP BJP election like reshuffle and changes at organisational level. Once the national BJP chief is elected, there will be changes at the organisational level and since UP would go to assembly elections in 2027, who all from the state would make it to the national team would be interesting to see. Similarly, the key components of reshuffle will also be in focus during discussions. Discussions kicked off among BJP cadre and political observers on July 9 when the photograph of Maurya meeting Shah from Maurya's X handle went viral. Though there was nothing new in the photograph, it was the caption – which said that he had a discussion around repeating 2017 (victory) in 2027 – that made political pundits believe that he could be back as UP BJP chief. Since Maurya is a strong OBC face of the BJP and could be the BJP's bet to counter Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav's by and large successful PDA narrative, speculations around his comeback in the organisation looked prudent to many. Sources in the party, however, claimed that a decision on the new UP BJP chief was yet to be taken. The belief that something is cooking in Delhi around UP was further consolidated when about a week after Maurya's meeting, the other deputy chief minister Brajesh Pathak also met Shah in Delhi. It is certain that UP is back in BJP's focus as CM Yogi has also met Modi, Shah and Nadda. After Yogi, Bhupendra Chaudhary and Dharampal Saini are expected to meet BJP's top brass in Delhi on Sunday.
Time of India
04-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
With its new UP president pick, BJP may counter SP's PDA pitch
Lucknow: The much-anticipated appointment of the new UP BJP chief may well be the saffron party's most vehement counter to the Samajwadi Party's Pichhda, Dalit, Alpsankhyak (PDA) poll narrative. This narrative is said to have dented the ruling party by pulling down its tally from 62 to 33 in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections in UP. Sources said that the caste of the new UP BJP president is expected to define the roadmap of the BJP's strategic push, even if symbolic, in the run-up to the panchayat polls due next year and subsequently the 2027 state elections. A senior BJP leader mentioned that the party is weighing all options to counter the opposition's PDA with its 'P-D' (Pichhda/OBC-Dalit) card, a move expected to be reflected in the party's choice for the new UP BJP president. The most prominent names from the OBC community include Union minister BL Verma, Jal Shakti minister Swatantra Dev Singh, animal husbandry minister Dharampal Singh, Rajya Sabha MP Baburam Nishad, and MLC Ashok Kataria. Likewise, from the Scheduled Castes category, former MP Ram Shankar Katheria and MLC Vidyasagar Sonkar are in the race. Call it a coincidence, the UP BJP, in recent years, elected OBC state presidents just before state elections. It was Keshav Maurya before 2017 and Swatantra Dev Singh before 2022. The incumbent state president, Bhupendra Chaudhary, a Jat, was appointed by the party in 2022 after Swatantra Dev was inducted into the Yogi Adityanath cabinet. Chaudhary's tenure ended earlier this year. A senior BJP leader affirmed that the party sought to push a prominent OBC or Dalit leader who could steer the party's poll prospects and help in the consolidation of non-Yadav, non-Jatav vote banks. "The party leadership will take its time in appointing the most suitable candidate. Nevertheless, the organisation is being run at a smooth pace," said UP BJP spokesperson Hero Bajpai. Experts asserted that the appointment of the UP BJP president was not merely about filling a post. It was being positioned as a high-stakes move to reshape caste equations, reclaim the narrative, and reassert the BJP's relevance in a state where caste factors prominently in determining electoral destiny. The choice of a new state chief also represents a broader political recalibration in response to the party's 2024 Lok Sabha setbacks, particularly in the caste-sensitive terrain of UP. Analysts said that the Samajwadi Party's PDA formula successfully disrupted the BJP's dominance by forging a bottom-up caste coalition that resonated on the ground. "It is all about symbolism. The caste of the next BJP state president is expected to serve as a signal to key voter groups who are valued as key stakeholders in the BJP's power structure," an analyst said. He said that by installing a leader from the 'P-D' (Pichhda–Dalit) communities, the BJP may potentially seek to fracture the PDA axis around which the SP and allies seek to consolidate their position. A senior BJP leader said that the 2025 panchayat elections will serve as a testing ground for the BJP's new social engineering. The leadership pick will also influence the 2027 assembly election narrative, particularly if the BJP attempts a Pasmanda Muslim outreach alongside its P-D formula.
Indian Express
02-07-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
BJP looks to complete organisational polls in key states like UP, Karnataka, even as it speeds up delayed party elections
Amid a flurry of unopposed elections of state presidents over the last three days that made the party complete half the state presidential elections, technically clearing the decks for the election of the national president, the BJP is yet to complete the organisational elections in key states like Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka. Even as there are expectations that the election of the new BJP chief may be round the corner, a highly-placed source in the party said that these states being important, the party would want to first wind up presidential elections in these, before announcing the national president — something that may take some time. The announcement of the new BJP president to replace JP Nadda has now seen one full year of delay after the end of the extension till June 2024 that the national executive of the party had given him in January 2023 in view of the Lok Sabha polls. In Uttar Pradesh, while more than half the zilla elections have long been completed – the magic number required for the state chief to be appointed – party leaders say 'sab thanda padaa hai (things aren't moving till now).' A key source in the UP BJP said that with the sudden flurry of appointments of party presidents, there is rising expectation that UP may also have a party chief soon. 'There is still speculation as to what formula the party will adopt for UP – a Dalit, OBC or Savarna president, and which caste even among these categories. The face for the party chief will depend on that,' a BJP leader in UP said. In Karnataka, too, things have been stuck long after half the zilla elections were completed. In the state, the BJP was also embarrassed by constant tirades of Basangouda Patil Yatnal against state BJP chief BY Vijayendra, son of former Chief Minister and Lingayat strongman BS Yeddyurappa, and had to expel Yatna from the party late in March 2025. Meanwhile, the back-to-back announcements of state unit presidents by the BJP on Tuesday and Wednesday, with more expected this week, set party circles abuzz about the possibility of the organisational elections being complete soon. After the party announced the names of Dr. Beicchua and VP Ramalingam as the respective presidents of its Mizoram and Puducherry units, PVN Madhav replaced D. Purandeshwari as the Andhra Pradesh BJP chief while N Ramchander Rao took over from Union Minister G Kishan Reddy in Telangana. Mahendra Bhatt retained the party's reins in Uttarakhand and Dr. Rajiv Bindal in Himachal Pradesh even as the party was likely to announce the presidents of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Chandigarh, Arunachal Pradesh. The process to elect party chiefs in West Bengal and Tripura among other units is also underway. Adding to the tally of the state presidents to be appointed further, working party chief Ravindra Chavan was appointed president of the party's Maharashtra unit while Anil Tiwari was appointed the chief of the BJP's Andaman and Nicobar unit. On Wednesday, the party's state units in Madhya Pradesh and Ladakh got their respective presidents with Betul legislator Hemant Khandelwal taking over from VD Sharma and Phunchok Tanzin being replaced by Tashi Gyalson Kachu. 'Organisational polls in more states are likely to conclude on or by July 4 in light of the auspiciousness of the period as per the Hindu calendar; we expect the entire organisational overhaul of the party to be complete within the month of Sawan till early August,' a party source said. 'All the state presidents appointed so far bear the stamp of the senior BJP leadership; it appears that the party is still yet to reach consensus with the RSS as far as the appointments of presidents of crucial states such as UP, Gujarat and Karnataka are concerned,' another source said. As per the BJP's constitution, organisational elections proceed bottom-up. When half the booth-level presidents have been elected, the Mandal elections begin. With half the Mandal presidents appointed, the party starts the zilla elections, and when half the zilla presidents are announced, the party appoints the state president. The BJP national president is elected after half the state presidents have been appointed. With the BJP having 37 state units in India, the magic number is therefore 19 — a number the party has already achieved. While the BJP constitution provides for election at every level, the national president and even the state presidents are conventionally elected unopposed, with only one person filing the nomination.
Time of India
09-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Yogi to open exhibition today
1 2 Lucknow: Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will inaugurate an exhibition marking 11 years of Modi govt on Tuesday. The exhibition, organized at the state party office in Lucknow, will highlight the achievements of the Modi govt such as "good governance, poor welfare, self-reliant and powerful India". Yogi will also address a press conference. UP BJP chief Bhupendra Chaudhary and state general secretary (organization) Dharampal Singh interacted with party officials on a virtual platform on Monday regarding the preparations for various programmes. Chaudhary said the country has become economically and strategically strong due to the historic decisions and achievements of Modi govt in the 11 years. He said India's stature has grown globally because of policies meant for farmer welfare, immense opportunities for youth, establishment of the country as a manufacturing hub and women empowerment. "The party needs to reach every booth and every house with these achievements. The achievements of the country should reach every citizen and he should connect himself with the pride of the country and the resolution of a developed and self-reliant India," he said. Singh said the exhibition will be organized in all district centres. In addition, professional meets will be organized on the topics of the concept of developed India and our role, 11 years of service, good governance and poor welfare and Strong India-Safe India on June 10 and 11. Digital competition will be organized on the topic Changing India-My Experience. Singh said Developed India Sankalp Sabha will be organized at the divisional level from June 12 to 14.
Time of India
09-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
How Canada, Russia, EU figure in UPBJP's campaign on 11 years of Modi govt
Lucknow: If medical treatment of over nine crore people under Ayushman scheme was more than twice the population of Canada, the construction of 12 crore toilets under Swachh Bharat Abhiyan surpassed the total population of Canada and Italy taken together. Likewise, the laying of more than 42 lakh km of optical fibre in the country was almost 11 times the distance between earth and moon. That's how the UP BJP has portrayed the scale of welfare measures and developmental initiatives rolled out during the 11 years of Narendra Modi government. The depictions came through social media posts even as the saffron outfit geared up to celebrate 11 years of PM Narendra Modi in office. The comparisons were seen as BJP's bid to simplify the figure and create relatability for people by comparing with a known, developed nation. This is especially true in case of construction of toilets under Swachh Bharat Abhiyan which underlined the massive scale of sanitation efforts, crucial for rural health and dignity—especially for women. Similarly, the metaphor vis-à-vis optical fibre, a senior BJP leader said, was meant to emphasize the depth of digital connectivity achieved even in remote areas, tying into the broader 'Digital India' vision. This is not all. The number of loans disbursed under Mudra scheme – 52.5 crore – is shown as more than the total population of US, Russia and Australia taken together. "Naya Bharat! Abhutpurva Scale! (New India! Unprecedented scale)" the party mentioned in one of the posts. Analysts said that by comparing Mudra loan beneficiaries to entire nations' populations, the BJP sought to underscore how deeply and widely its economic policies managed to penetrate. It tends to give a sense that almost every third Indian has been touched by the scheme—a powerful narrative to the informal sector, small traders, and aspiring entrepreneurs.
