BJP Gears Up for Next Uttar Pradesh Assembly Polls

The BJP has started preparing the ground for the next Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, scheduled to be held in February–March 2027, in earnest in its bid to avoid a repeat of the last Lok Sabha polls wherein its electoral performance dipped significantly. Also, there is a strong buzz that a woman leader could be named the ruling party's new state unit chief before the panchayat polls due early next year.

The BJP leadership, it is learnt, wants the coming panchayat polls to be used as a testing ground before the next Assembly and general elections in the state. The party has been ruling the state since 2017, but its performance in the last Lok Sabha polls was considered “shockingly abysmal” by many. The saffron party managed to win just 33 seats in 2024, whereas in the 2019 elections it had won 62 of the total 80 parliamentary seats.

As part of its strategy to regain the lost ground, the saffron leadership has activated its cadre to seek feedback from the ground on local issues which need to be resolved. Senior leaders are reaching out to prominent people seeking feedback on the party’s organisational activities.

The BJP's state organisational secretary Dharampal has been visiting districts to seek feedback, while Union minister C.R. Paatil has been asked to oversee Prime Minister Narendra Modi's constituency, Varanasi. Mr Modi had won the Varanasi seat for the third time in 2024, but his victory margin had reduced as compared to previous times.

According to sources, Mr Paatil has already started reaching out to prominent people of the PM's constituency and "rectifying" issues pointed out. Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath has been seeking regular reports from officers on the implementation of state and Central government schemes.

Meanwhile, ahead of the crucial panchayat elections early next year and Assembly elections in February–March 2027, speculation is rife that the BJP could appoint a woman as the Uttar Pradesh chief, more so after former Union minister Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti's meeting with BJP president J.P. Nadda and national general secretary (organisation) B.L. Santhosh. The meeting came after the PM's meeting with Mr Nadda, Mr Santhosh and Union home minister Amit Shah in Parliament earlier this week.

The buzz over the next BJP state chief grew louder after Mr Santhosh visited the state and held meetings with several leaders, including the Uttar Pradesh CM. Also, around the same time, RSS' Arun Kumar held meetings with the state BJP leadership at the same time. Names of several leaders are doing the round for the post.