Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], October 28 (ANI): Union Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary has expressed confidence in Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's electoral prospects ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections, asserting that the BJP leader would win from any constituency in the state if he contests.
In an interview to ANI, when asked about Akhilesh Yadav and CM Yogi Adityanath challenging each other over Ayodhya, Chaudhary said, “Yogi Adityanath Ji is one of our dear leaders. After the work he has done in the last nine and a half years, if he contests from any seat in the state, he will win and return. And wherever Akhilesh Ji wants to contest, he is free to do so.”
His remarks come amid growing political activity in Uttar Pradesh ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections, with the BJP and the Samajwadi Party (SP) preparing for a crucial electoral contest. The Congress, meanwhile, is seeking to strengthen its position in the state while navigating seat-sharing discussions with its INDIA bloc ally, the SP.
Responding to a question about the BJP's defeat in the Faizabad Lok Sabha constituency in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Chaudhary acknowledged that electoral victories and defeats were part of politics. He alleged that the Opposition had misled voters by creating a narrative around changes to the Constitution.
"We also think about winning and losing. The way they created the narrative in 2024 about changing the Constitution and misled the public... If you look at it, the Constitution has been changed 106 times in the country. Our NDA government has changed it 7-8 times," he said.
Referring to the Emergency, he termed the constitutional amendment during that period as the "worst change", alleging it was brought to protect one person and restrictions were imposed on courts.
Citing the 106th Constitutional Amendment - the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam - GST and abrogation of Article 370, he said, "We have also taken decisions to change the Constitution for the poor. We have tried to give benefits to everyone."
"But what they said about changing the Constitution, they misguided the people. And the people have understood that," he added.
On the possibility of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections being held after the proposed delimitation exercise or the implementation of women's reservation, Chaudhary said the state elections were expected between February and March.
"The elections in Uttar Pradesh will take place from February to March. The rest of the delimitation, if the bill comes here, it will be approved," he said.
The issue of women's reservation and delimitation has been a subject of political debate, with the implementation of the 33 per cent quota for women in the Lok Sabha and state Legislative Assemblies linked to a census and a subsequent delimitation exercise.
Chaudhary also addressed the controversy surrounding alleged irregularities in donations at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, describing the temple as a centre of faith and condemning the incident.
"The Ram Temple is the centre of our faith, and we condemn this unfortunate incident. As soon as this happened, our government took immediate action. The investigation committee was present, and those found guilty were sent to jail. The entire system has been changed, and a new CEO has been appointed by our government. This happened because of a few people. We worked very hard on it," he said.
On reports of poll promises, including Rs 50,000 aid for women, he said he had no such information and said manifesto decisions are taken by a committee.
“Whatever manifesto is made, there is a full committee. The committee takes decisions, and it also thinks about where the money will come from. If you don’t want to win in the elections, then you can give anything. In 2024, we gave 1 lakh a month. But we will have a manifesto committee, which will sit and think about everything, and then decide,” he said.
Meanwhile, political activity has intensified ahead of the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, with the Congress reportedly seeking 200 seats in its discussions with the SP.
The SP has also announced that it will release its "Jan-Man Manifesto" for the 2027 Assembly elections on November 26, coinciding with Constitution Day. The party has described the document as the "Resolve of Twenty-Seven" and said it would reflect the aspirations of its PDA social coalition, representing backward classes, Dalits and minorities.
Uttar Pradesh, which has 403 Assembly seats, is expected to witness a major contest between the BJP and the SP in 2027, with the Congress also looking to expand its political footprint in the state. (ANI)
"If CM Yogi contests from any seat in UP, he will win": BJP UP Chief Pankaj Chaudhary ahead of 2027 Assembly polls
