New Delhi: After Swatantra Dev Singh became a minister in the Yogi Adityanath government, the BJP is looking for the next Uttar Pradesh unit president with an eye on the Lok Sabha elections in 2024. Sources said that the new Uttar Pradesh BJP president will be selected taking care of social engineering in the state.
Party insiders told IANS that several names are doing the rounds in BJP circles in Uttar Pradesh but there is a feeling in the party that to consolidate the Dalit votes before the next parliament election, a leader from the Dalit community will be given a chance to lead the organisation in the state.
“In the recent assembly polls Dalits, who tend to vote for Mayawati’s Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), had voted for the BJP. To further consolidate the Dalit votes, which constitute around 20 per cent of the total electorate, the BJP leadership might appoint a Dalit as the new president of the Uttar Pradesh unit,” a party insider said.
The saffron leaders in the state believe that a large number of Dalits voted for the BJP in place of the BSP and it needs to be consolidated further to ensure the party’s victory in the 2024 Lok Sabha election.
Explaining the reason for selecting a Dalit state president, another BJP leader said that a Brahmin and an OBC have been made deputy chief ministers in the Yogi Adityanath government and it is time to give a key position in organisation to a Dalit leader to win the support of the community.
“All sections of society are given key responsibilities and representation in the government. The party is considering to have a Dalit leader to lead the BJP in Uttar Pradesh,” a party leader said.
Among the Dalit leaders the names of Union minister of state Bhanu Pratap Verma, national secretary and Lok Sabha Member Vinod Sonkar, Legislative Council member Laxman Acharya, Vidyasagar Sonkar and others are doing the rounds in BJP circles as the next party president in Uttar Pradesh.
Sources said that the names of former deputy chief minister Dinesh Sharma and former minister Srikant Sharma are also being mentioned.
“Many names are doing the rounds in the party circles, but there is always a chance of a surprise from the central leadership and some unpredictable name could be appointed as the new president of the Uttar Pradesh BJP,” a party leader said.
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