The BJP has joined the Bahujan Samaj Party and the Samajwadi Party in wooing the Brahmins of Uttar Pradesh ahead of Assembly elections, giving the community the largest share of berths in the party’s newly formed state committee.

The 58-member state committee is the BJP’s highest organisational body in Uttar Pradesh, made up of office-bearers like vice-presidents, general secretaries and secretaries who assist the state unit president.

A perception had taken root in the state about the Brahmins’ political isolation ever since Yogi Adityanath, a Thakur, became chief minister in 2017. The BJP now seems keen on changing this perception by including 12 Brahmins in its state committee, followed by nine Rajputs (Thakurs), in various posts.

While the committee has 20 Other Backward Classes members — from different castes — in various posts, Brahmins are now the single largest caste on the panel. The earlier panel had nine Brahmins and nine Rajputs.

Defence minister Rajnath Singh’s younger son Neeraj Singh — a Thakur — has been appointed a vice-president, notwithstanding the BJP’s lectures to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Samajwadi president Akhilesh Yadav against “dynasty politics”.

Rajnath’s elder son Pankaj Singh is a party MLA from Gautam Buddha Nagar.

Brahmins make up less than 10 per cent of the state’s population but are considered opinion makers in the rural areas. This is the reason Samajwadi and BSP leaders, too, are claiming to be the “true friends” of the Brahmins and asking them to join their parties “to get political prominence”.

“The Brahmins know that their interests will be safe in the BSP,” Mayawati said two days ago. “They supported the BSP in 2007 (when Mayawati formed a majority government) and are again ready to stand by us.”

Akhilesh had on Monday held a meeting of the Samajwadi Brahmin Sabha and declared he would promote “strong Brahmin faces” during next year’s Assembly elections. He is expected to field a substantial number of Brahmin candidates.

State BJP president Pankaj Chaudhary told reporters after releasing the state committee members’ list that the 19 vice-presidents included two Brahmins and five Rajputs. Of the eight general secretaries, one is a Brahmin and another a Rajput. The 19 secretaries include four Brahmins and a Rajput.

The party has also appointed six regional presidents, three assistant secretaries for office work and three spokespersons and media organisers.

Samajwadi MLA Puja Pal is a surprise name in Chaudhary’s team of vice-presidents. She had openly rebelled against her party and started attending BJP meetings about a year ago. Pal’s supporters expected her to become a minister in the Yogi Adityanath government but she has received an organisational post, instead.