'BJP keeping its options open, not committing Yogi for another term'

Uttar Pradesh BJP president Pankaj Chaudhary’s assertion that the party will fight the 2027 Assembly election under collective leadership has renewed speculation over Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s prospects for a third term.

Chaudhary recently named Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Yogi, Deputy Chief Ministers Keshav Prasad Maurya and Brajesh Pathak among the leaders who would call the shots. He said the BJP’s parliamentary board would decide the chief ministerial face.

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The formulation has also raised questions about the balance of power between the State organisation and the central leadership ahead of the election.

What experts said

On The Federal’s Capital Beat show, Lucknow-based senior journalist and political analyst Sharat Pradhan said the repeated emphasis on collective leadership suggested that the BJP leadership was keeping its options open rather than committing to Yogi for another term. He, however, ruled out any immediate possibility of Yogi rebelling, citing the political difficulties former Chief Minister Kalyan Singh faced after leaving the party.

Pradhan also questioned the perception of Yogi’s governance, particularly on law and order, arguing that publicity around the government’s record did not always match crime data.

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Senior journalist Shahira Naim similarly cited issues concerning crimes against women, school closures, dropout rates and healthcare to question the government’s governance record.

BJP increasing pressure on Yogi?

Naim viewed Chaudhary’s elevation as part of an attempt to create another centre of influence within the state BJP. She said the new organisational arrangement could increase pressure on Yogi as the Assembly election approaches.

The BJP’s move also has a caste dimension. Pradhan said Chaudhary’s appointment could help the party strengthen its outreach among OBC voters while balancing Yogi’s image as a Thakur leader. The strategy assumes significance as the Samajwadi Party seeks to consolidate its PDA — Pichhda, Dalit and Alpsankhyak — social coalition.

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Asked whether Yogi’s increasingly aggressive communal politics could work in the 2027 election, Naim was sceptical.

Naim argued that voters were increasingly raising questions about governance and accountability.

Samajwadi Party's views

Pradhan, however, cautioned against viewing the 2027 contest solely through the prism of Yogi’s position. He said Modi would remain central to the BJP’s campaign and that the collective leadership formula could allow the party to leverage the Prime Minister’s popularity while keeping its choice of chief minister open.

Samajwadi Party (SP) spokesperson Sarvesh Tripathi offered a much sharper assessment from the SP’s perspective. He described the BJP’s collective leadership approach as a sign of “complete frustration” and argued that the party was struggling with factionalism.

Tripathi also argued that the BJP would struggle if Yogi were sidelined, claiming that the party’s organisational presence in Uttar Pradesh was heavily dependent on the chief minister’s political appeal.