All eyes are on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as it kicked off the process to pick its new Uttar Pradesh state president. Sources said the party is banking on an ‘OBC’ face to lead the organisation in the state ahead of the crucial 2027 Assembly polls.

On Saturday, the process of filing of nomination papers began at the BJP headquarters in Lucknow at 2 pm. Senior leaders, including Union Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary, who is emerging as the frontrunner, arrived at the office.

Pankaj, 61, is a seven-time BJP MP from Maharajganj in Eastern UP, near Gorakhpur. He landed in Lucknow on Saturday afternoon from Delhi . Sources said the timing of filing nomination papers, which was to start at 1 pm earlier, was shifted following a slight delay in his arrival.

Sitting

See Full Page