Pankaj Chaudhary Emerges as Sole Contender for Uttar Pradesh BJP Chief Post

Lucknow/New Delhi | December 13, 2025 Pankaj Chaudhary, the seven-time Member of Parliament from Maharajganj and Union Minister of State for Finance, has emerged as the leading contender for the post of president of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s Uttar Pradesh unit. His name is now almost certain to be announced after he became the only leader to file a nomination for the position before the deadline on Saturday. The process for selecting the next Uttar Pradesh BJP chief reached a crucial stage on December 13, when the deadline for filing nomination papers ended at 3 pm. Uttar Pradesh minister Swatantra Dev Singh confirmed that only one nomination had been submitted, and it was filed by Pankaj Chaudhary. He said the nomination is currently under scrutiny and the official announcement will be made on Sunday. According to party officials, the name of the new state BJP chief will be formally declared by the party’s central election officer and Union Minister Piyush Goyal on December 14 at around 1 pm. BJP state election officer and former Union Minister Dr Mahendra Nath Pandey had earlier stated that the announcement would follow the completion of the internal process. Pankaj Chaudhary, 66, has long been considered a frontrunner for the top organisational post in Uttar Pradesh. A senior BJP leader and a prominent face from eastern Uttar Pradesh, he currently represents the Maharajganj parliamentary constituency. He is serving his seventh term as an MP, reflecting his strong electoral base and long-standing connection with the voters of the region. Belonging to the Kurmi community, which comes under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category, Chaudhary is seen as an influential leader who can help the party strengthen its social outreach in the state. Party sources describe him as a trusted leader who enjoys the confidence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Chaudhary secured a decisive victory from Maharajganj, defeating Congress candidate Virendra Chaudhary by a margin of over 35,000 votes. Following the elections, he was inducted into the Union Council of Ministers as Minister of State for Finance, further cementing his position within the party. Chaudhary’s political journey began at the grassroots level. According to available records, he started his career in local politics and served as a Member of the Municipal Corporation in Gorakhpur between 1989 and 1991. He later went on to serve as the deputy mayor of Gorakhpur, gaining administrative experience at the city level before moving on to state and national politics. His family has also been actively involved in public life. His mother, Ujjwal Chaudhary, previously served as the Maharajganj District Panchayat President, adding to the family’s long association with regional politics. Party leaders often highlight his rise through the organisation as an example of the BJP’s cadre-based structure. Before Chaudhary’s nomination, several other names were being discussed as possible contenders for the post of Uttar Pradesh BJP chief. These included BL Verma, Ram Shankar Katheria, Dharampal Singh, and Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya, who has also served as state BJP president in the past. However, with only one nomination filed, the contest appears to have been settled without the need for a formal election. The BJP leadership has repeatedly stressed that the party follows internal democracy and transparency in choosing its office-bearers. Senior leaders have underlined that the BJP is a cadre-driven organisation where leadership is built through years of work at the ground level, rather than family connections. Traditionally, the BJP selects its state presidents through consensus, and contested elections are rare. Even so, the party released the list of eligible voters for the organisational election, in line with its internal procedures. If officially appointed, Pankaj Chaudhary will take charge of the BJP’s largest and most politically significant state unit at a crucial time, as the party prepares for upcoming elections and works to consolidate its position in Uttar Pradesh. Pankaj Chaudhary Emerges as Sole Contender for Uttar Pradesh BJP Chief Post Pankaj Chaudhary, the seven-time Member of Parliament from Maharajganj and Union Minister of State for Finance, is set to become the next president of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s Uttar Pradesh unit. On Saturday, he emerged as the only leader to file a nomination for the post before the deadline, making him the clear frontrunner for one of the party’s most important organisational roles. The deadline for filing nominations ended at 3 pm on December 13. Uttar Pradesh minister Swatantra Dev Singh confirmed that only one nomination had been submitted, and it was by Pankaj Chaudhary. He said the nomination is being scrutinised and the official announcement will be made on Sunday. The BJP’s central election officer and Union Minister Piyush Goyal is expected to declare the new state president on December 14 at around 1 pm. At 66, Chaudhary is a seasoned politician with deep roots in Uttar Pradesh politics. He represents the Maharajganj parliamentary constituency and is currently serving his seventh term in the Lok Sabha. In the 2024 general elections, he defeated Congress candidate Virendra Chaudhary by a margin of over 35,000 votes, after which he was appointed Union Minister of State for Finance. Belonging to the Kurmi community, an OBC group, Chaudhary is seen as a key leader who can strengthen the BJP’s social base in the state. He is widely regarded as a trusted leader within the party and is believed to enjoy the confidence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. Chaudhary began his political journey at the grassroots level. He served as a Member of the Municipal Corporation in Gorakhpur from 1989 to 1991 and later became the deputy mayor. His mother, Ujjwal Chaudhary, has also served as the Maharajganj District Panchayat President, reflecting the family’s long association with public service. With no other nominations filed, the BJP appears set to choose its new UP chief through consensus, in line with party tradition.