UP BJP district president polls go online, party to take livestream, WhatsApp route

It will be the first time that the party will be announcing district presidents online. In the past, the names of district presidents and other posts was announced only through a press-release for the media. This was followed up with a written communication to the office bearers concerned.

To streamline the announcement on Sunday, a meeting has been convened at 2 pm in every district office where election observers, district election officer, senior office bearers of different wings, local MLAs, MPs and the ministers will be present.

During these meetings, the district election officer will receive a message on WhatsApp from the party headquarters informing the name of the new district president. The district election officer will then proceed to announce the name of the new president who will be welcomed by the other office bearers.

The BJP in UP has 98 organisational districts. On Sunday, presidents for 87 of these districts are expected to be announced. The election of the 11 remaining districts is yet to be completed.

Sources said that among the district presidents, nearly 50% positions will be filled by OBCs, SCs/STs and women.

“This representation will be done to counter the Samajwadi Party (SP)’s slogan of PDA (Pichhda, dalit, and alpsankhyak) in view of 2027 UP assembly polls,” said another party leader.

BJP sources said that the party is expecting protests and demonstrations from miffed candidates.

“In the past, 10 to 20 nominations were filed for each organisational election. This time, at least 50 nominations have been filed in at least in every district. 58 nominations have been filed in Etawah, and 51 in Meerut, for example.

As per the ongoing organisational elections in the party, booth presidents were elected first, followed by election of the mandal president. Following the election of the district president Sunday will set the ball rolling for the election of the state president.

Former Union Minister and UP BJP organisation election officer Mahendra Nath Pandey told The Indian Express: “This is sanghathan parv (festival of organisational polls) of the party. Party leadership has decided that results of district elections will be announced in the district concerned. Meetings will start at 2 pm and an announcement (of district president) will be made soon after that. Monitoring will be done to check that the programme is being held properly.”