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After identifying lapses in regional and caste representation, the BJP leadership is initiating a reset to recover ground lost in the 2024 polls
UP CM Yogi Adityanath, BJP President JP Nadda and Union Home Minister Amit Shah. (PTI Photo)
Uttar Pradesh is poised for a significant political reshuffle, both within the BJP’s organisational framework and the state government structure, top sources have confirmed to CNN-News18.
In the wake of its underwhelming performance in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP is preparing a comprehensive reset ahead of the crucial 2027 Assembly polls. The first step in this direction is expected to be the announcement of a new Uttar Pradesh BJP president — a decision currently awaited.
After a brief lull following the Pakistan-backed terror attack in Pahalgam and Operation Sindoor, the BJP has resumed focus on pending organisational changes. Uttar Pradesh is at the centre of this activity, with the appointment of a new state president seen as the immediate priority. The decision is expected to set the tone not only for the 2027 state elections but also for the party’s larger leadership transition.
Following the appointment, a cabinet expansion in the Yogi Adityanath-led government is on the cards. The move aims to ensure balanced regional and caste representation, especially from areas and communities that have either been underrepresented or shifted their allegiance in the recent parliamentary polls.
Sources indicate that additional representation may be extended to regions such as Awadh, Braj, Kashi, Ambedkar Nagar, and the Pratapgarh–Prayagraj belt. Among the communities likely to receive fresh or enhanced representation are the Pasi and Kurmi groups from Awadh; Saini, Maurya, and Shakya from the central-eastern belt; Shakya from Braj; and Bind and Kurmi from the Kashi region.
An internal review conducted by the party suggests that many of these communities, including segments of the BJP’s traditional voter base, drifted away in 2024 — leading to a substantial fall in vote share. In several constituencies, the drop was as high as 6–7 per cent, even in areas previously considered secure by the party’s own estimates.
This feedback, shared with the central leadership, has prompted urgent discussions on course correction, with the twin goals of addressing gaps in representation and regaining electoral ground.
The party is also preparing to elect a new national president. JP Nadda, who was appointed in January 2020, has already completed his full term and was given extensions to steer the BJP through critical phases, including the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. As per party norms, a majority of state unit elections must be completed before the new national chief is named — making the Uttar Pradesh appointment a key step in that direction.
In contrast, the Samajwadi Party’s candidate selection — rooted in nuanced social engineering — paid off handsomely in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, bolstering Akhilesh Yadav’s political stock. The BJP, meanwhile, is working on a counter-strategy to outpace the SP in the run-up to 2027.
Having come to power in 2017 with a landslide and repeated that performance with an even stronger mandate in 2022, the Yogi Adityanath government will now seek a third consecutive term. For the BJP, retaining Uttar Pradesh is not just about a state election, it is about mirroring the larger national narrative of continuity, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi is currently in a rare third term at the Centre.
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