LUCKNOW: Former Bahujan Samaj Party MP Arvind Chaudhary and ex-Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) deputy superintendent of police Anil Yadav joined the Bharatiya Janata Party on Wednesday.




The two were inducted into the party at a function presided over by UP BJP president Pankaj Chaudhary , who welcomed them into the party fold and assured them of respect and support.




"I warmly welcome Arvind ji and Anil ji into the BJP family. They have accepted this platform as BJP workers. I assure them that we will always stand behind them and fight for their dignity and respect," Chaudhary said, slamming the opposition for creating an atmosphere of anarchy in the country.




A former BSP MP from Basti, Arvind Chaudhary had quit the BSP and joined the Samajwadi Party in 2020. He is the nephew of sitting SP MP Ram Prasad Chaudhary, who represents Basti in the Lok Sabha. Both belong to the Kurmi community , an influential OBC group with a sizable presence in eastern and central UP.




His entry into the BJP is being viewed against the backdrop of the BJP's assertive bid to consolidate its non-Yadav OBC support base and counter the SP's attempts to mobilise backward communities under its PDA (Pichhda, Dalit, Alpsankhyak) political plank.




The Kurmi community is among the most politically influential OBC groups in UP and has traditionally played an important role in electoral contests across several districts.




The BJP has been particularly keen to reinforce its connection with the community following the political setbacks it suffered in parts of the state in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.




Anil Yadav's induction is seen as BJP's bid to reach out to the Yadav community which otherwise happens to be a core vote base of the SP. His entry adds to the BJP's effort to attract people with professional and administrative backgrounds, besides political leaders from rival parties.




The latest inductions also come at a time when the BJP leadership has stepped up efforts to expand its organisational and social footprint across the state. The party has been working on a strategy to identify influential personalities, opposition leaders and professionals who could be brought into its fold ahead of the electoral battle.




At a recent organisational meeting, the party had asked district presidents to prepare lists of influential people from different walks of life, including lawyers, doctors, traders, industrialists and intellectuals, as well as opposition leaders who could be persuaded to join the BJP.