UP BJP Chief Offers Resignation To PM; Amit Shah Acts Amidst Rejig Speculation

The BJP is gearing up for a major organisational revamp in Uttar Pradesh after a significant loss in the recent Lok Sabha elections, sources have revealed. State BJP president Bhupendra Chaudhary has reportedly taken responsibility for the party’s poor performance and has offered to resign during a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi today. Union Home Minister Amit Shah has since arrived at the Prime Minister’s residence to discuss the next steps.

Over the past few days, key BJP leaders from Uttar Pradesh have been in the national capital, holding meetings with the party leadership. Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya’s recent meeting with BJP national president JP Nadda has further fueled speculation about a major revamp.

According to sources, Prime Minister Modi discussed critical organisational issues with the Uttar Pradesh BJP president. The BJP is reportedly keen on appointing an OBC leader as its new state chief to recover from the electoral setback and prepare for the 2027 state elections. The incumbent, Mr. Chaudhary, is a Jat leader from Moradabad, appointed in 2022 to address community discontent within the BJP.

The possible choice of an OBC leader to replace Mr. Chaudhary is strategic, as OBCs constitute a significant portion of the state’s population and play a crucial role in elections.

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Election Results and Implications

The BJP faced a significant defeat in Uttar Pradesh in the recent general election, with its seat count dropping from 62 in 2019 to 33, while the main Opposition, the Samajwadi Party, made substantial gains.

Having won the last two state elections in Uttar Pradesh, the BJP is determined to achieve a hat-trick. Therefore, substantial changes in the party organisation are expected.

Background and Speculation

Speculation about an organisational overhaul has been intensified by claims of infighting within the Yogi Adityanath government. This buzz was triggered by a remark from Deputy Chief Minister Maurya during a party meeting on Sunday, where he stated, “The organisation is bigger than the government. No one is bigger than the organisation.” This comment was widely interpreted as a veiled criticism of Chief Minister Adityanath.

Responding to this remark, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav claimed that the state is suffering due to internal conflicts within the BJP government. “BJP leaders are fighting among themselves. The people know about the corruption and are fed up with the game of thrones,” he said.

The BJP, however, has dismissed these claims of infighting. Mr. Maurya tweeted this afternoon that the BJP’s governments and organisations at both the national and state levels are strong. “The return of SP’s reign of goons in UP is impossible. BJP will repeat 2017 in the 2027 state polls,” he posted on X. Notably, Mr. Maurya was the state BJP chief in 2017 when the BJP achieved a decisive victory.

In a significant comment at the BJP state executive meeting, Mr. Adityanath remarked that “overconfidence” cost the party in the Lok Sabha election. He noted that while the BJP maintained a similar percentage of votes as in previous elections, overconfidence and vote shifting negatively impacted their results. He called on party workers to intensify preparations for the upcoming bypolls.