MoS Finance Pankaj Chaudhary To File Nomination For UP BJP President Today

Lucknow: Union Minister of State (MoS) for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary is set to make a big political move. According to sources close to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Mahrajganj MP, Pankaj Chaudhary, will file his nomination papers for the post of Uttar Pradesh BJP president at the party’s Lucknow headquarters on Saturday. The Finance MoS, who has been serving in the Narendra Modi cabinet since the 2024 cabinet reshuffle, is being promoted as the party’s flagship OBC candidate for the crucial northern state. 

Pankaj Chaudhary, who has been serving as MoS (Finance) since the 2024 cabinet reshuffle, is being touted as the party’s OBC flagship for the crucial northern state. A seasoned parliamentarian with seven terms has built a reputation as a reliable organiser in the eastern districts of UP. Reportedly, Chaudhary enjoys the backing of senior leadership, including Home Minister Amit Shah, who reportedly praised his loyalty during the recent Lok Sabha campaign.

The official announcement of the new state president is expected on Sunday, once the party’s internal elections are completed. The party officials stated that the organisational groundwork is already in place, with 84 out of 98 district presidents already declared, leaving the party well prepared for the leadership vote.

New BJP Chief To Be Announced On December 14

BJP's election incharge for Uttar Pradesh, Mahendra Nath Pandey, stated that the nomination process would begin on Saturday. He said that National General Secretary Vinod Tawde would oversee the filing of nominations between 2 pm and 3 pm, followed by a scrutiny session from 4 pm to 5 pm. MN Pandey stressed the party’s commitment to internal democracy and transparency, noting that the BJP is a cadre‑based organisation and not a family‑run outfit, in a thinly veiled jab at the Congress and the Samajwadi Party. “There is complete democracy in the BJP. It is a cadre‑based party… This is not a family party. This is a party of common people, common workers, a party of national ideology. So, a democratic election is possible here,” he said.

The results of the internal poll are scheduled to be announced on December 14 at 1 pm, with Union Minister Piyush Goyal attending as the party’s election in‑charge. Mahendra Nath Pandey added that the list of State Council members had been released two days earlier and that the same would be circulated through the media. He confirmed that Vinod Tawde would be present when nominations are filed, and that the scrutiny would take place from 3 pm to 4 pm on the same day.

Earlier in the week, the party had announced the schedule for the election of the new Uttar Pradesh president. Nominations were set for December 13, with scrutiny from 3 pm to 4 pm. Union Minister Piyush Goyal and National General Secretary Vinod Tawde have been appointed as election officers for the process. The eligible voters include MPs, MLAs, and district and regional presidents. The current UP BJP president, Bhupendra Singh Chaudhary, is expected to step down, and former state president Mahendra Nath Pandey confirmed the upcoming change.

Among the names being floated as possible successors are Union Minister Pankaj Chaudhary, BL Verma, Ram Shankar Katheria and Dharampal Singh. The BJP traditionally selects its state president by consensus, but the party has nevertheless prepared a detailed voter list. 5 MPs (Mahesh Sharma, Satyapal Singh Baghel, Devendra Singh Bhola, Kamlesh Paswan and Vinod Kumar Bind), 8 members of the Legislative Council, 28 MLAs and 425 district and regional presidents would be called upon to cast their votes.

The party expected the nomination and scrutiny process to run smoothly, with the final result announced on December 14. If Chaudhary’s nomination proceeds without contest, he is likely to be declared the new Uttar Pradesh BJP president in a largely ceremonial vote, cementing the party’s OBC outreach ahead of the upcoming local body and assembly elections.