: Even as the BJP’s top leadership remains heavily engaged in the ongoing assembly election campaigns in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu and parallel political activity in Bihar, the sudden flurry of high-level meetings in Lucknow on Sunday signalled an urgent push to fast-track long-pending decisions, including Cabinet expansion and organisational changes, ahead of 2027 assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh.
In a development seen as significant given the timing, BJP national general secretary Vinod Tawde held a series of closed-door meetings with key state leaders at the party headquarters here, setting off intense political activities in the state capital. Chief minister Yogi Adityanath was campaigning in West Bengal.
Tawde, on a two-day visit, met state president Pankaj Chaudhary and general secretary (organisation) Dharampal Singh in a prolonged meeting. He later held separate discussions with deputy chief minister Brajesh Pathak, former state chief Bhupendra Chaudhary, and former state presidents Surya Pratap Shahi and Ramapati Ram Tripathi.
Party functionaries termed the meetings routine. “Central leader of the BJP Vinod Tawde met state president Pankaj Chaudhary and state general secretary (Organisation)Dharampal SIngh. It is a routine meeting in BJP,” said Hero Bajpai, state spokesperson.
However, insiders said the back-to-back engagements despite the central leadership’s packed poll schedule point to a concerted move to expedite cabinet expansion, organisational reshuffle and pending political appointments in commissions and corporations in the state.
The urgency was underscored by Pankaj Chaudhary flying to New Delhi soon after the Lucknow meetings to meet Union home minister Amit Shah, a move sources close to Chaudhary said was aimed at finalising key decisions.
After meeting Amit Shah in New Delhi, Pankaj Chaudhary shared a social media post describing the interaction as a “courtesy visit”. He said he received warmth, guidance and blessings from the senior leader, adding that they held “meaningful and constructive discussions on various organisational matters.”
Tawde is also expected to meet chief minister Yogi Adityanath and deputy chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya on Monday.
At present, the Uttar Pradesh council of ministers has 54 members — 21 Cabinet ministers, 14 ministers of state (Independent Charge) and 19 ministers of state against the permissible strength of 60, leaving six positions vacant in the Yogi Adityanath government.
The last expansion took place on March 5, 2024. Sources said discussions also covered filling vacancies in state-run corporations and commissions, a process that has remained stalled since after the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Tawde had been appointed as the party’s observer for such appointments, but the exercise slowed due to his involvement in Bihar elections and reported displeasure within the central leadership over certain controversial picks for the State Women Commission. With Tawde now camping in Lucknow amid the ongoing poll season, party insiders believe the leadership is keen to close pending decisions quickly, giving fresh momentum to both the government and the organisation in Uttar Pradesh.
Since Eastern Uttar Pradesh has a heavier weight in Team Yogi at present, the representation of western UP could be increased.
The chief minister, a deputy CM and the state president are currently from eastern Uttar Pradesh.
Sources say rounds of internal meetings are ongoing amid speculation about possible changes. The final decision will be taken only after approval from the BJP central leadership.
“As far as the cabinet expansion is concerned, the list of contenders is long but former state president Bhupendra Chaudhary becoming a minister is considered certain. Two faces from the organisation could also be sent to the government,” said a senior BJP leader.
Besides this, a former minister is staking a strong claim. Reports say his strained equations with Delhi have also been largely sorted out.
Earlier in the day, the state BJP office in Hazratganj became a hub of activity as party office bearers and other leaders reached it after hearing about Tawde’s arrival.
