Overview
- Pankaj Chaudhary formalized the prohibition and said any repeat by MLAs or MLCs will count as indiscipline under the party constitution, reiterating the warning during his West UP tour on Saturday.
- The move followed a closed-door dinner in Lucknow of over 50 Brahmin legislators at Kushinagar MLA P N Pathak’s residence, where attendees reportedly discussed bias against Brahmins, though hosts called it a community meet focused on electoral roll work and development.
- Party insiders said senior leaders, including contacts from the central leadership and the chief minister’s office, conveyed displeasure to attendees after participant lists circulated online and details were gathered for a proposed WhatsApp group.
- Opposition parties cited the episode to claim unrest within the ruling party, with references to a similar Thakur legislators’ gathering during the Monsoon Session adding context to the leadership’s stance on caste-based mobilization.
- BJP leaders say the clampdown is designed to block caste blocs from evolving into pressure groups on tickets or berths ahead of 2027, as reports also pointed to a possible follow-up meeting on January 5 that remains uncertain.