Union Minister and Uttar Pradesh Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Pankaj Chaudhary is set to embark on a significant two-day organizational visit to Varanasi, starting Sunday, January 7. This marks his maiden trip to the holy city after taking charge as the state party chief, with a clear focus on bolstering the party's machinery for the upcoming electoral battles.
Grand Welcome and Temple Visits on the Agenda
Chaudhary will arrive in Varanasi from Gorakhpur and is scheduled to receive a grand welcome at multiple locations by workers from the city and district units. He will stay overnight at the Circuit House. On the morning of January 8, his itinerary includes offering prayers at the revered Kashi Vishwanath and Kaal Bhairav temples, a move seen as significant in the political and cultural heartland of the region.
Crucial Organizational Meetings for 2027 Roadmap
The core objective of the visit is a series of high-level organizational meetings. On January 8, Chaudhary will first hold discussions with office-bearers and public representatives of the Varanasi district and city units that fall within the Varanasi Lok Sabha constituency limits. Subsequently, he will convene a broader meeting with office-bearers from all 16 organizational districts under the Kashi region.
According to BJP Kashi region President Dilip Patel, the attendee list for these meetings is extensive and indicative of a comprehensive review. It is set to include:
- MPs and candidates who lost the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
- MLAs and candidates who lost the 2022 UP Assembly elections.
- The Mayor, District Panchayat President, and various district presidents.
- District in-charges, district 'pravasi' members, and the regional working committee.
- State and national office-bearers residing in the Kashi region.
Chaudhary is scheduled to depart for Delhi on the evening of January 8.
Preparations in Full Swing
In preparation for the visit, Dilip Patel convened a meeting of local office-bearers and public representatives on Wednesday evening at the party's Rohaniya office. The gathering, attended by district President and MLC Hansraj Vishwakarma, Amarnath Yadav, Anil Srivastava, and Shriprakash Shukla, among others, finalized plans for Chaudhary's reception and the logistics of the meetings.
This visit is widely perceived as a crucial step as the BJP intensifies its groundwork and preparation well in advance of the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections. By directly engaging with the party's grassroots structure in the politically vital Kashi region, the state leadership aims to assess strengths, address weaknesses, and consolidate its position.
