Instead of going for election, the party decided to go for consensus for the selection of district presidents. Cabinet minister Mahendra Pande was made the election officer. Message was already sent to all districts that the election would be live which would be seen by state president Bhupendra Choudhry and general secretary (organisation) Dharampal Singh.

Senior leaders including office-bearers, MPs and MLAs we're sent to all districts to meet local leaders to reach consensus for district presidents to balance caste factor to fight powerful combination of PDA of Samajwadi Party.

On March 16, BJP announced the names of 70 district presidents while the decision on remaining 28 districts is yet to take place. Out of 70 names declared, 39 are from upper castes including 20 brahmins, 10 thakurs, three kayasths and two bhumihars. BJP has made 25 district presidents from OBC and six members from scheduled castes and scheduled tribe.

Surprisingly, the party has not announced the names of districts in remaining 28 districts due to serious tussle between MPs, MLAs and local leaders to reach consensus on single name. Everybody wants that district presidents should be made of his or her choice who would help in next assembly polls.

BJP decided for 44 new faces while five women have also been made district presidents. The party also repeated 26 presidents. Beside these 28 districts, the party has to select new state president in place of Bhupendra Choudhry. Union Minister Piyush Goel has been appointed as election officer for this important task.

Important leaders who are being discussed for this coveted post include Rajya Sabha member and former deputy chief minister Dinesh Sharma, deputy chief minister Brijesh Pathak, Luxmikant Bajpai, former state president Swatantra Dev Singh.

BJP leadership will have to decide whether the party would like a brahmin, backward aur a dalit state president to face UP Assembly polls in 2027 and panchayat polls before that. (IPA Service)