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In a strategic move aimed at bolstering its prospects in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, the Uttar Pradesh unit of Bharatiya Janata Party has undertaken a significant overhaul of its organisational structure at the district and city level.
This reshuffle has witnessed changes in leadership positions in over 75 per cent of the districts across the state. Among the new appointees 23 are Brahmins and 39 are OBCs among the prominent castes which has got prominence in the reshuffle.
The long-anticipated organisational reshuffle within the BJP came to fruition on Friday, with the appointment of new presidents in 98 districts and city units.
“Discussions regarding these changes had been ongoing for approximately two months. The party leadership has prioritised maintaining a delicate balance of social and regional representation, a factor seen as critical for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections,” a senior BJP leader said.
Out of the 98 districts affected by this restructuring, a substantial 69 district heads are new appointees, while only 29 retain their positions. However, eyebrows have been raised over the limited representation of women in this new lineup, as only five women have been appointed as district presidents.
Notable among the newly appointed leaders is Anand Dwivedi, who has assumed the charge of president of Lucknow city, and Vinay Pratap Singh, who now leads Lucknow district. Other key appointments include Budvilal Pasi in Rae Bareli, Rajesh Shukla in Sitapur, Arvind Maurya in Barabanki, Amar Kishore Kashyap in Gonda and Brijesh Pandey in Bahraich.
These leaders have expressed their commitment to strengthening the party at the grassroots level.
“This organisational reshuffle is unmistakably a prelude to the impending Lok Sabha elections, with the BJP focusing on leaders known for their active roles within the party. Notably, the reshuffle reflects a strategic attempt at social engineering, addressing caste and social equations within the leadership to better position the party in the upcoming elections,” the leader said and added that the party had not hesitated to remove individuals from their positions if their performance was deemed unsatisfactory.
Political analysts suggest that these appointments are a calculated move, taking into consideration the dynamics of ticket distribution for the Lok Sabha elections scheduled in the coming months.
“The BJP’s restructuring of its leadership in Uttar Pradesh signals its unwavering commitment to securing a formidable presence in the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections. The party’s emphasis on social engineering and performance-driven leadership changes underscores the high stakes of the electoral battle ahead,” BJP vice-president Vijay Bahadur Pathak said.