BJP set to name new UP president by December 16: Here are the frontrunners

The BJP is likely to announce its pick as new president by December 16.

The Bharatiya Janata Party is set to appoint a new Uttar Pradesh state president this week, with the party leadership accelerating the selection process amid clear signals that the organisation may hand the post to an OBC leader ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections.

A key meeting in Delhi on Thursday evening between senior RSS functionaries and top BJP leaders firmed up the schedule for the election. According to sources, nominations for the post will be filed on December 13 in the presence of national general secretary (organisation) Vinod Tawde, after which the party is expected to announce its new state chief by December 14 or 16.

Outgoing state president Bhupendra Chaudhary met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah earlier this week, signalling that the transition is now in its final phase. "All organisational preparations are complete. The new state president will be announced before December 16," a senior party functionary was quoted as saying.

Union minister Piyush Goyal, who is the central election in-charge for UP organisational polls, is expected to reach Lucknow this weekend to complete the remaining formalities. The BJP has already issued an official communication confirming that Goyal will oversee the final process on December 14.

Under the BJP's organisational rules, the state president is elected by the Provincial Council — a body now almost fully constituted. Of the 98 organisational districts in UP, 84 district presidents have been appointed and more than 350 council members notified. Over 1,600 of the state's 1,918 mandal units have also completed elections, clearing procedural hurdles.

If only one nomination is filed, the candidate will be declared elected unopposed. If more names come in, voting will be held the next day. Sources said Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Deputy CMs Keshav Prasad Maurya and Brajesh Pathak, along with senior organisational leaders, are expected to be proposers for the chosen candidate.

Multiple sources in the party confirm that the high command is inclined toward appointing an OBC leader, keeping in mind the state's caste arithmetic and the BJP's efforts to consolidate non-Yadav OBC voters ahead of a high-stakes electoral cycle.

Among the frontrunners are:

BL Verma – Union Minister of State and Rajya Sabha MP, seen as the strongest contender. A close associate of national general secretary Sunil Bansal, Verma has long organisational experience and is viewed as the top choice.

Dharmapal Singh – Yogi cabinet minister and senior OBC face.

Pankaj Chaudhary – Union MoS (Finance), another prominent OBC leader whose name is in circulation.

Post her recent meeting with party president JP Nadda, former Union minister Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti has also emerged as a potential surprise pick, though party insiders still place Verma ahead due to organisational backing and OBC outreach potential.

Party strategists say the leadership wants a state chief who can strengthen the BJP's OBC base as it prepares for a series of elections, including the 2025 panchayat polls, 2026 urban local body elections and the 2027 Assembly contest. Senior leaders say the decision reflects the social composition of UP and the need to further consolidate the non-Yadav OBC bloc.