Uttar Pradesh BJP Keeps CM Face Decision Open Ahead of 2027 Assembly Elections

Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh BJP president Pankaj Chaudhary has kept the question of the party's chief ministerial face for the 2027 Assembly elections open, saying the decision will be taken by the BJP's parliamentary board. His remarks come as the BJP steps up preparations for the crucial state polls, in which it will seek a third consecutive term. While Chaudhary described Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath as one of the party's faces, he stopped short of saying that Yogi would be projected as the sole CM face. Asked who would be the BJP's chief ministerial face, Chaudhary said, "In the BJP, the parliamentary board decides who will be the chief minister." He named Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Yogi Adityanath and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh among the leaders who would be the party's faces in the election. "Prime Minister Modi is our biggest leader and he will be our face. Chief Minister Yogi ji will also be our face. Rajnath Singh ji is also our face. We will fight the election together. The parliamentary board will decide who will be the chief minister," he said. Asked whether he himself was also a face of the party, Chaudhary said leaders who fight the election with the BJP are its faces, but reiterated that the decision on the CM would be taken by the party. Chaudhary said the BJP had begun working on its election preparedness and was addressing gaps at the organisational and grassroots levels. "The BJP is a strong party and has achieved its electoral successes on the strength of its workers," he said. The BJP's refusal to formally settle the CM face question at this stage leaves the leadership issue open ahead of the 2027 contest. Yogi remains the BJP's most prominent face in Uttar Pradesh, but Chaudhary's formulation indicates that the party is not making a formal commitment on the CM choice yet. The BJP will also have to contend with the opposition SP's efforts to consolidate its support base as the 2027 election takes shape.