Who is Pankaj Chaudhary, a 7-time MP and Kurmi leader

Outgoing UP BJP chief President Bhupendra Singh Chaudhary, UP Jal Shakti Minister Swatantra Dev Singh, and former MP smriti irani were also present when the Union MoS filed the nomination.

"Upon arriving at Lucknow airport today, I received a warm welcome from the dedicated party workers," Chaudhary, who was the only candidate to do so, posted on X (formerly Twitter). "I express my heartfelt gratitude to all the workers for the affection and respect they showed me."

Who is Pankaj Chaudhary?

A seven-time Lok Sabha MP from the Maharajganj parliamentary constituency, Chaudhary hails from Adityanath's Gorakhpur. It is said that he enjoys the trust of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Defence Minister rajnath singh. Notably, Chaudhary belongs to the Kurmi community, which is categorised as Other Backward Classes (OBC).

Kurmis have a significant presence across Uttar Pradesh, particularly in the state's central and eastern regions. They had shown their inclination towards the Samajwadi Party in the 2022 UP Assembly polls and the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, and through Chaudhary's appointment, the saffron party is planning to woo the community and counter Akhilesh Yadav's PDA formula ahead of the 2027 state elections. 

Here, it should be mentioned that the BJP has had three Kurmi leaders as state presidents -- Swatantra Dev Singh, Om Prakash Singh and Vinay Katiyar.  

According to locals, the Union MoS is extremely 'hardworking' and is an 'approachable leader'. Interestingly, PM Modi had visited Chaudhary's home during his visit to Gorakhpur in 2023, spending some time with him and his family, and inquired about his mother's health. "I came to know you were planning to come to Delhi to see me. I thought I myself should pay a visit to you," the prime minister told Chaudhary during his visit.

Later, the minister thanked PM Modi while equating his visit to that of Lord Ram and Lord Krishna.