The BJP is prepping for an organisational rejig in Uttar Pradesh after its big drubbing in the politically-significant state in this Lok Sabha election, sources have told NDTV.

Over the past few days, key BJP leaders in Uttar Pradesh are in the national capital and are holding meetings with the party brass. State BJP president Bhupendra Chaudhary met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi today. Earlier, Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya met BJP national president JP Nadda, fuelling the buzz over a big revamp.

According to sources, the Prime Minister discussed key organisation issues with the Uttar Pradesh BJP president. The BJP, it is learnt, is keen on having an OBC leader as its state chief as it preps to bounce back from the poll setback and prepare for the 2027 state polls. The incumbent, Mr Chaudhary, is from the Jat community. OBCs account for a sizeable chunk of the state’s population, and BJP may name an OBC leader in its attempt to woo the community.

The frenetic activity comes in the aftermath of the BJP’s big debacle in Uttar Pradesh in this general election. The party’s score dropped from 62 in 2019 to 33 this time as main Opposition Samajwadi Party made big gains.

The BJP has won the last two state polls in Uttar Pradesh and will leave no stone unturned to score a hat-trick. So, wide and big changes in the party organisation are likely.

The Backdrop

Speculation over an organisational overhaul come against the Opposition’s claims of infighting within the Yogi Adityanath government in the state. This buzz was sparked by a remark by Deputy Chief Minister Maurya during a party meeting on Sunday. “The organisation is bigger than the government. No one is bigger than the organisation,” Mr Maurya said. The remark was widely seen as a veiled swipe at Chief Minister Adityanath.

Latching on to the remark, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said people of the state are suffering due to infighting within the state government. “BJP leaders are fighting among themselves. The people know about the corruption and are fed up with the game of thrones,” he said.

BJP, however, dismissed the infighting buzz. Responding to the Samajwadi Party chief, Mr Maurya tweeted this afternoon that the BJP’s governments and organisation in the country and the state are strong. “The return of SP’s reign of goons in UP is impossible. BJP will repeat 2017 in the 2027 state polls,” he posted on X. Significantly, Mr Maurya was state BJP chief in 2017 and the BJP had scored a thumping win in that election.

In a potent remark at the BJP state executive meeting, Mr Adityanath had said “overconfidence” cost the party in the Lok Sabha election. “The percentage of votes that was in favour of BJP in 2014 and subsequent elections, BJP has been successful in getting the same number of votes in 2024 as well, but the shifting of votes and overconfidence have hurt our expectations,” Mr Adityanath said, calling upon party workers to step up preparations for the upcoming bypolls.

Union Minister Ramdas Athawale said Wednesday that his party, the Republican Party of India (Athawale), “demands the Government of India and state governments” provide quotas for private sector jobs for candidates from OBCs, or Other Backward Classes.

“Many people are there (looking for jobs in private sector companies) from SC and ST… but there is no reservation. Soon maybe government sector (companies) will also become private…”

“My party demands the Government of India and state governments give reservations to OBCs in the private sector. We are not opposing candidates from the General Category,” Mr Athawale said.

Ramdas Athawale is a Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment.

Mr Athawale’s demand comes amid controversy in Karnataka over a move to reserve 70 per cent of non-management private sector jobs, and 50 per cent at management-level, for Kannadigas.

READ | Karnataka Okays Bill For 100% Quota For Locals In Private Firms

Earlier Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah claimed there would be 100 per cent reservation.

A social media post Tuesday making that announcement was deleted this afternoon. 

READ | In Row Over Karnataka 100% Quota Bill, Chief Minister Deletes Post

Reservation will be capped at 70 per cent for non-management roles and 50 per cent for management-level employees, Labour Minister Santosh S Lad clarified.

The quota saw a mixed reception. Some business leaders called it “discriminatory” while others, like Biocon’s Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, said there is a need to ensure jobs for locals but added caveats.

As a tech hub we need skilled talent and whilst the aim is to provide jobs for locals we must not affect our leading position in technology by this move. There must be caveats that exempt highly skilled recruitment from this policy. @siddaramaiah @DKShivakumar @PriyankKharge https://t.co/itYWdHcMWw

— Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw (@kiranshaw) July 17, 2024

It also comes amid rumblings in recent months about similar initiatives in other states, specifically BJP-ruled Haryana, which will hold an Assembly election this year. The state – dominated by the BJP in the past two general elections – saw the ruling party and the Congress split its 10 seats this time.

Given the close fight in the Lok Sabha election, the state election is likely to be hard-fought.

The Haryana State Employment of Local Candidates Act was passed in 2020. It directed private firms in the state to hire local candidates – i.e., those with domicile certificates, for which the time requirement was dropped from 15 years to five – for 75 per cent of jobs paying less than Rs 30,000.

The proposal was piloted by the Jannayak Janata Party, then a BJP ally. Reservation for locals was a 2019 Lok Sabha poll promise by JJP boss Dushyant Chautala, who was also Deputy Chief Minister.

READ | “Unconstitutional”: Court Scraps Haryana’s 75% Quota In Private Sector

However, in November last year the Punjab and Haryana High Court struck down the law, calling it “unconstitutional” and saying the restrictions imposed could have a “far-reaching effect”.

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