By Pradeep Kapoor
LUCKNOW: Is BJP high command trying to corner powerful chief minister Yogi Adityanath through recently appointed State President Union Minister Pankaj Choudhry.? The appointment of Pankaj Choudhry surprised several BJP leaders and political commentators as he and chief minister Yogi Adityanath belong to same district Gorakhpur.
It is also known fact that Pankaj Choudhry does not belong to group of BJP leaders aligned with Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. The close proximity of Pankaj Choudhry with Union Home Minister Amit Shah is well known. That is why this appointment has assumed importance.
Since BJP state president Pankaj Choudhry is enjoying the direct support from Union Home Minister Amit Shah, this will make him powerful leader in the state which could be the rival centre of power in state politics. It may be mentioned that Pankaj Choudhry is sitting MP from Maharajganj and serving seventh term in Lok Sabha. Besides making him as head of rival centre of power in the state, the central BJP leader thinks that kurmi backward Pankaj Choudhry is better placed to take on the SP leader Akhilesh Yadav and his PDA..
It would be worth mentioning here that with formation of the combination of pichda, dalit and alpsankhayak (PDA) by the SP supremo Akhilesh Yadav, it was possible for SP-Congress alliance to drastically reduce the number of BJP MPs from Uttar Pradesh in 2024 Lok Sabha polls. Further, it was the powerful combination of PDA that Samajwadi Party emerged as third largest party in Lok Sabha in 2024 polls with 37 seats from UP.
The appointment of Pankaj Choudhry becomes very important with BJP deciding for a kurmi backward state president to mobilize the second powerful backward community after yadavs in the state. The powerful kurmi population decide the fate of candidates in at least 127 assembly seats. That is why BJP is more keen to win over the support of the community.
With Pankaj Choudhry as BJP president party high command wants to reduce the dependence of state BJP on kurmi dominated Party Apna Dal led by Union Minister Anupriya Patel.
Apna Dal is partner in NDA and BJP has made Anupriya Patel minister at the centre and also accommodated her husband Asheesh Patel in Yogi Adityanath ministry. But BJP high command is always under pressure from Apna Dal in the state politics which the BJP doe not like
There have been cases in recent years when Apna Dal party would made demands from central and state governments which put BJP high command under pressure. (IPA Service)
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