BJP's Leadership Principle Under Scrutiny as Uttar Pradesh Presents Multiple Exceptions
With Nitin Nabin taking over from JP Nadda as the new BJP national president, political attention has returned to the party's longstanding organizational principle of 'one person one post'. This transition marks a significant moment where Nadda, who received multiple extensions as BJP president since 2024, now holds only one position—that of a Union minister.
The Core Principle and Its Ideological Significance
The 'one person one post' maxim represents a fundamental guideline within the BJP's organizational framework. This principle emphasizes that party members should ideally hold either an organizational position or a government role at any given time. The objective behind this guideline is twofold:
- Promoting broader leadership development across different levels of the party structure
- Preventing excessive concentration of power within individual leaders
Political experts note that Nadda's relinquishment of his organizational post, despite holding a Union cabinet position since 2024, helps the party reclaim moral and ideological consistency. This move reinforces the party's commitment to its foundational principles while demonstrating organizational discipline at the national level.
Uttar Pradesh: A Landscape of Strategic Exceptions
However, when examining the political landscape of Uttar Pradesh, India's most populous state and a crucial political battleground, the party appears to have made several strategic exceptions to this principle. These exceptions reveal how organizational rules sometimes bend to accommodate political necessities in key states.
The most prominent example is Pankaj Chaudhary, the newly appointed Uttar Pradesh BJP chief who simultaneously serves as Union Minister of State for Finance. Chaudhary, a seven-time MP from Maharajganj, represents a strategic appointment designed to counter the opposition's PDA (Pichhda, Dalit, Alpsankhyak) poll narrative. Despite this dual role creating some blurring between party and government functions, Chaudhary continues to manage responsibilities in both Lucknow and Delhi.
A senior BJP functionary revealed that Chaudhary, considered close to the party's central leadership, is likely to continue as a Union minister until an expected cabinet reshuffle following the West Bengal elections later this year.
Multiple Leaders Holding Dual Responsibilities
The pattern of dual responsibilities extends beyond Chaudhary. Narendra Kashyap serves simultaneously as Uttar Pradesh BJP OBC Morcha president and as a minister in the Yogi Adityanath government. Kashyap has maintained both positions since 2022, when the Yogi government returned to power for a second consecutive term and he was inducted as Minister (Independent Charge) for Backward Class Welfare and Divyangjan Empowerment.
Within UP BJP circles, some leaders believe Kashyap's continuation in both roles reflects a conscious political choice rather than an administrative oversight. A senior UP BJP functionary explained, "By retaining him in the organizational role even after inducting him into the cabinet, the party sought to ensure direct alignment between policy delivery and political messaging targeted at OBC communities."
Similarly, Sunita Dayal continues as Uttar Pradesh BJP vice-president despite being elected as Ghaziabad mayor in 2023. Her dual positions add another layer to the pattern of institutional overlap within the party's Uttar Pradesh unit.
Strategic Considerations Behind the Exceptions
A UP BJP functionary suggested that Dayal's retention in the state leadership structure indicates the party views high-profile urban local bodies, particularly in politically sensitive regions like western Uttar Pradesh, as extensions of its organizational apparatus rather than purely administrative domains.
This pattern isn't entirely new within Uttar Pradesh politics. Similar situations existed with other BJP leaders including:
- AK Sharma, who continued as state vice-president
- JPS Rathore, who maintained his role as state general secretary
- Daya Shankar Singh, who remained in charge of the UP OBC wing
All three leaders held these organizational positions for several months even after their induction into the Yogi cabinet in 2022, suggesting a deliberate strategy rather than accidental oversight.
Balancing Principles with Political Realities
The contrast between the national leadership's adherence to the 'one person one post' principle and Uttar Pradesh's multiple exceptions highlights how political parties sometimes balance ideological consistency with practical necessities. While the principle remains important for organizational health and power distribution, strategic considerations in crucial states like Uttar Pradesh sometimes necessitate temporary deviations.
These exceptions demonstrate how the BJP manages its organizational principles while addressing specific political challenges, particularly in states that play decisive roles in national politics. The party appears to be navigating a complex landscape where ideological purity must sometimes accommodate strategic flexibility, especially in politically significant regions.
