Brahmin likely to be appointed as BJP's Uttar Pradesh unit chief soon

New Delhi: With Bharatiya Janata Party Uttar Pradesh chief Swatantra Dev Singh becoming a part of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's cabinet, the party is likely to accommodate a Brahmin leader as its state unit chief.

There is a strong buzz that a leader from the influential Brahmin community may soon be tasked with the important job, sources said. 

Change of guard at BJP's state chief's post is being done in keeping with one man one post formula followed by the party. 

Singh is likely to step down and an appointment for a replacement is imminent soon, sources added.

The party is considering the names of former Deputy CM Dinesh Sharma, party MP Harish Dwivedi, state general secretary Gopal Narayan Shukla and MLA Shrikant Sharma for the top job in the organization. 

"Discussion on the issue is being held extensively and the Brahmin community's claim to the post is seriously being considered," BJP sources said. 

The move would also be significant as Uttar Pradesh sends the most number of BJP MPs to Lok Sabha and the polls for the lower house are scheduled for 2024.

The community is electorally significant as it constitutes about 10% of the total population of Uttar Pradesh. 

The party is also considering a Brahmin face as the community is believed to have completely backed the saffron unit in the recent Assembly polls. 

Several leaders of the community had earlier expressed their displeasure to the BJP's top leadership regarding the Brahmin community being overlooked during the first tenure of the Yogi government. This had forced the party to form a panel of top Brahmin leaders to woo the community ahead of Assembly polls.