BJP looks at total overhaul of regional units in UP rejig

Lucknow: The much-awaited organisational rejig in UP BJP is likely to trigger significant restructuring exercises, with indications pointing towards a complete overhaul of regional units and nearly 50% changes in the state top brass ahead of the crucial assembly elections due early next year.The situation emerged amid hectic discussions between BJP national chief Nitin Nabin and party national general secretary (organisation) BL Santhosh with the UP BJP president Pankaj Chaudhary and state general secretary (organisation) Dharam Pal Singh. Sources said that Chaudhary submitted all the state unit input to the party, which is expected to give its formal nod soon.Besides Chaudhary and Singh, the UP BJP unit comprises 43 members, including 18 vice-presidents, seven state general secretaries, 16 secretaries, one treasurer and one co-treasurer.

Likewise, the six regional units, headed by regional presidents, have around 16 members.A senior UP BJP functionary said that the party was expected to replace all the regional presidents, bringing some of them into the state body. The new regional presidents would subsequently constitute their teams. The state body, on the other hand, was expected to witness a sizeable revamp, with the party deciding to factor in organisational experience and effecting a counter to opposition’s PDA poll plank.

The party is also expected to announce the new presidents of the seven frontal wings - Bhartiya Janta Yuva Morcha, Mahila Morcha, Kisan Morcha, OBC Morcha, SC Morcha, ST Morcha and Minority Morcha. The frontal wings have been playing a key role in driving party campaigns amongst the constituencies that they represent.The development is much anticipated, days after CM Yogi Adityanath effected an extension in the council of ministers, bringing in six new faces, primarily from the OBC and SC communities.Party insiders said the exercise, which has been under discussion for several months, is now entering its final phase after extensive consultations between the BJP, RSS and senior state functionaries. The restructuring is being seen as part of the BJP’s larger strategy to rejuvenate the organisation, infuse younger faces into key roles and fine-tune caste and regional equations before the next electoral battle.The organisational changes gained momentum after the appointment of Pankaj Chaudhary as the UP BJP chief last year. Party functionaries believe the agenda is to build a more aggressive and election-focused organisational team capable of addressing local issues more effectively and improving coordination between district and state units.According to sources, the BJP has already carried out large-scale changes at the district level in around 95 organisational districts, replacing several district presidents and redistributing responsibilities.

The district-level restructuring is widely being viewed as a precursor to major changes in the state executive.Senior BJP functionaries said the party was reportedly evaluating office-bearers on parameters such as booth-level mobilisation, coordination with district units, outreach among non-traditional voter groups and performance during recent elections.The party is also expected to phase out several functionaries holding dual responsibilities or occupying organisational posts for prolonged periods. Sources said the emphasis would be on bringing in younger functionaries in line with the BJP’s broader national strategy.A senior UP BJP functionary said that the party was keen to rebuild booth-level networks, strengthen social engineering strategies and improve coordination between the govt and organisation ahead of the 2027 assembly polls.