When PM Modi Walked Through Narrow Lane to Reach New UP BJP Chief Pankaj Chaudhary's House in 2023

Pankaj Chaudhary, fondly known as 'Pinky Babu' among family and friends, has been named the 17th president of the Bharatiya Janata Party's Uttar Pradesh unit. His elevation brought back the memory when

Prime Minister Narendra Modi walked through a narrow lane to reach his residence in 2023.

UP BJP Gets New Chief

Pankaj Chaudhary's election was formally announced by Union Minister Piyush Goyal at UP's Gorakhpur on Sunday. The announcement was made in the presence of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Deputy Chief Ministers Keshav Prasad Maurya and Brajesh Pathak.Chaudhary, the Union Minister of State for Finance, had filed his nomination papers for the post on Saturday and was the sole candidate in the fray. He submitted the papers to former Union minister and BJP state election officer Mahendra Nath Pandey and central election observer Vinod Tawde.

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The 2023 PM Modi-Pankaj Chaudhary Moment

Following Pankaj Chaudhary's elevation, Prime Minister Modi's visit to his Gorakhpur residence became a talking point. PM Modi had walked nearly 150 metres to make an impromptu visit to Chaudhary's residence in 2023. PM Modi was in Gorakhpur for the centenary celebrations of Gita Press and the flagging off of two Vande Bharat trains in July 2023. After departing from Gita Press, the Prime Minister's cavalcade suddenly stopped near Bandhu Park, surprising many. From there, he walked down 15 metres in a narrow lane of Harivansh Gali to reach Chaudhary's house. The PM was accompanied by Governor Anandiben Patel and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.The Prime Minister spent around 10 minutes with Chaudhary and also interacted with his family members. "Aur Ammaji ji kya haal hai apka? Maine suna aap mujhse milne Dilli aana chhah rahin hain. Maine socha khud chal kar aap se mil loon (I came to know you were planning to come to Delhi to see me. I thought I myself should pay a visit to you)," the PM reportedly told Chaudhary's mother, according to TOI. He then asked, "did you like the surprise?"

Who is Pankaj Chaudhary?

Pankaj Chaudhary is a seven-time Lok Sabha MP from Maharajganj and a key Kurmi leader from Purvanchal. Born on November 15, 1964, Chaudhary hails from the Harbanshram Bhagwandas Ayurvedic oil lineage, a prominent local business family known for producing the 'Rahat Rooh' brand.

He began his political career as a municipal councillor at the age of 25 and formally joined the BJP in 1990. He won his first Lok Sabha election from Maharajganj in 1991. Since then, Chaudhary has remained a dominant political figure, known for his soft-spoken demeanour and ability to maintain cordial relations across party lines.

Why BJP Picked Pankaj Chaudhary As Next UP Chief?

Chaudhary is regarded as a strategic choice as the party looks to consolidate its social base and counter the opposition's PDA (Backward, Dalit, and Minorities) narrative ahead of the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls.