Brahmins enjoy fair share in BJP organisation and Yogi ministry | Lucknow News
Likewise, of the total strength of 54 ministers in the Yogi Adityanath cabinet, seven are Brahmin. This amounts to around 13% of the total strength.The figures, analysts noted, potentially weakens the argument — often raised during internal churn or after electoral setbacks — that Brahmins have been systematically sidelined under the leadership of CM Yogi. Experts point out that Brahmins have dominated political optics of the BJP since early 1990s when the Ram Temple movement peaked.Brahmin leaders of the BJP came to attain the spotlight following the recent controversy over organisation of a meeting called by BJP’s Brahmin MLA PN Pathak and attended by nearly four dozen MLAs from the same caste. Sources said that the meeting, categorically criticised by newly appointed UP BJP chief Pankaj Chaudhary, a Kurmi, underlined the ever rising aspirations of the Brahmins in the saffron camp. This got heightened after recent meetings called by certain Thakur and OBC functionaries of the BJP.Data show that seven out of 45 organisational functionaries in UP BJP are from Thakur community. This accounts for 15% of the total strength, signifying a substantial presence of the community within the party in UP. In the case of Yogi’s council of ministers, Thakur equals Brahmins — seven out of 54 ministers are from the Thakur community.In raw numerical terms, Thakurs do not outnumber Brahmins either in the cabinet and are behind in the organisational apparatus.The near-balance between Brahmins and Thakurs is seen as a deliberate balancing strategy by the BJP to prevent alienation of either of the two upper-caste pillars. Experts said this helps the BJP manage the dual upper caste axis where neither the Brahmin nor the Thakur community can claim marginalisation while being intrinsic to the party’s internal dynamics.Among other upper castes, seven out of 45 organisational functionaries are from the Vaishya community. Two are Bhumihar. In the Yogi council of ministers, Vaishya and Bhumihar communities are represented by five and two members, respectively.The OBC functionaries perceptibly dominate the organisational command of UP BJP. The state unit has 12 OBC leaders, including state president Pankaj Chaudhary and the state general secretary (organisation) Dharam Pal Singh. The presence of both the state president and the powerful general secretary (organisation) from OBC backgrounds gives this dominance an institutional depth, not just numerical weight.The OBC community is represented by 20 ministers in the Yogi’s council of ministers. This translates into 37% representation which is significant considering the sizable population of OBC in the state.Experts said that the numbers highlight that the party has moved decisively towards an OBC-led organisational core, while carefully managing upper-caste representation to maintain balance and cohesion.Dalit community is represented by eight organisational leaders in the UP BJP unit. This translates into almost 18% representation which is though a little less than 21% population of SC in the state. Analysts note that the visible presence of Dalit leaders in the organisation helps the BJP project an image of social justice and outreach to non-Jatav Dalits. In the state cabinet, the community is represented by seven ministers, which makes for around 13% of the total strength.
