Former BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh has been included in the Uttar Pradesh BJP’s state executive committee ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections. The appointment marks his first inclusion in the party’s state-level executive panel, according to the report.

The committee was constituted on October 26 by Uttar Pradesh BJP president Pankaj Chaudhary ahead of a meeting scheduled in Lucknow to discuss the party’s organisational work and preparations for the state elections.

Singh, a former president of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI), had largely remained away from the BJP’s organisational activities following sexual harassment allegations made by women wrestlers. His inclusion comes nearly three months after a Delhi court acquitted him in the case, although the acquittal has since been challenged.

First inclusion in the state executive committee

Despite his long political career and influence in eastern Uttar Pradesh, Singh had not previously been given a position in the BJP’s national or state organisational structure, according to party sources cited in the report.

A BJP leader described his appointment as the first time Singh had been made a member of the state executive committee. Six other BJP leaders from Gonda district have also been included in the panel.

The expanded committee has 712 members, including 134 special invitees and 30 permanent invitees, according to the report. The previous state executive committee had 184 members.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been included as a permanent invitee from Varanasi. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri and former BJP national president Murli Manohar Joshi are also among those included in the panel.

BJP had dropped Singh from the 2024 Lok Sabha race

The BJP did not field Singh in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections amid the sexual harassment allegations against him. Instead, the party nominated his younger son, Karan Bhushan Singh, from the Kaiserganj constituency, which Brij Bhushan had represented previously.

Karan Bhushan Singh won the seat in his first election. During the campaign, Brij Bhushan Singh confined his campaigning to Kaiserganj and urged voters to support his son, describing the outcome as a response to those he said were attempting to end his political career.

A senior BJP leader quoted in the report said the party had denied Singh a ticket in 2024 because of the allegations. The leader added that the court’s acquittal could allow him to participate more actively in party programmes.

However, any decision about a future Lok Sabha nomination would depend on the party’s leadership.

Acquittal challenged by women wrestlers

On August 3, a Delhi court acquitted Singh in the sexual harassment case involving six women wrestlers. The allegations had triggered widespread protests by prominent wrestlers in 2023 and put the BJP under political pressure.

The acquittal has been challenged by four of the women wrestlers. According to the report, a Delhi court on October 28 gave Singh a week to respond to their appeal.

The legal challenge remains relevant to the case’s status, even as Singh’s inclusion in the state executive signals his return to the BJP’s formal organisational structure.

BJP prepares for the 2027 Uttar Pradesh elections

The state executive committee meeting in Lucknow is intended to discuss the BJP’s organisational roadmap ahead of the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections. Union Home Minister Amit Shah is scheduled to address the opening session, while Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is set to address the concluding session, according to the report.

The expanded panel includes leaders from across Uttar Pradesh, with Varanasi and Gorakhpur among the districts with the highest representation.

Singh’s appointment comes as the BJP prepares its organisation for the next Assembly election, while his legal case and political role remain subjects of public and political attention.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Thursday inspected areas affected by Cyclone Arnab as the state government put the preliminary damage estimate at Rs. 4,600 crore. The figure could increase following a detailed assessment of losses caused by the cyclone and associated rainfall.

Seven people have died in cyclone-related incidents across Andhra Pradesh, according to the report. The state government is carrying out relief and restoration work in affected districts while preparing to assess the extent of damage to agriculture and infrastructure.

Naidu conducted aerial and ground surveys across Krishna, West Godavari and Dr B R Ambedkar Konaseema districts. His inspection covered flooded paddy fields, damaged banana plantations, uprooted coconut trees and affected aquaculture ponds.

The aerial survey included areas such as Nimmakuru, Pamarru, Bantumilli, Narasapuram, Palakollu, Amalapuram and Katrenikona.

At Vetlapalem, the Chief Minister met affected farmers and inspected waterlogged agricultural fields and damaged coconut trees. Farmers told him that paddy crops due for harvesting in approximately 15 days had suffered extensive damage, raising concerns about reduced yields.

Central teams to assess cyclone damage

Addressing the media at Gachakayalapora village in the Mummidivaram constituency, Naidu said the preliminary estimate of damage from Cyclone Arnab stood at Rs. 4,600 crore. He cautioned that the amount could rise once a comprehensive assessment was completed.

Central assessment teams are scheduled to visit affected areas on October 30. Naidu said he had spoken to Union Home Minister Amit Shah about the situation and submitted a preliminary damage report to the Centre.

The assessment is expected to help establish the extent of losses across affected areas as the state continues its response to the cyclone.

Compensation and relief measures announced

The state government has announced compensation for damage to agricultural and horticultural crops. The assistance will be transferred directly to farmers’ bank accounts after the damage assessment is completed.

Farmers whose coconut and oil palm trees have been damaged will receive Rs. 1,500 per tree, according to the announced measures.

People returning from relief camps will also receive 25 kg of rice, a package of essential commodities and financial assistance.

The government is working to restore electricity and telecommunications services, remove fallen trees and protect irrigation infrastructure. In Konaseema, around 8,000 electricity poles have fallen, adding to the challenges facing restoration teams.

Andhra Pradesh has sought 1,000 personnel from Telangana to speed up electricity restoration. The state may also seek additional assistance from Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.

Farmers and infrastructure among the worst affected

The Chief Minister’s inspections highlighted the impact on agricultural fields, plantations and aquaculture facilities. Waterlogging and damage to crops have created concerns for farmers, particularly those whose paddy harvests were approaching.

The government has also prioritised the restoration of essential services and the clearance of damaged infrastructure in cyclone-hit areas.

Naidu said precautionary measures had been taken based on experience from previous cyclones to reduce the loss of life and property. However, he acknowledged that seven people had died despite these efforts.

Officials have been monitoring the situation across areas extending from Srikakulam to Krishna district.

The Chief Minister assured farmers that crop losses would be assessed promptly and compensation would be released to eligible beneficiaries. He also said the Centre was extending support to Andhra Pradesh as it dealt with the cyclone’s impact and existing financial constraints.

The preliminary damage estimate remains subject to revision as assessment teams examine the affected areas.

Congress has retained the Nagpur graduates’ constituency in Maharashtra’s Legislative Council elections, with sitting MLC Abhijit Wanjari defeating the Bharatiya Janata Party’s Sudhakar Kohale by 3,271 votes. The result also gave the Congress an opportunity to target Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis over their earlier remarks about the party’s performance in the polls.

Wanjari secured 67,231 votes against Kohale’s 63,960, retaining the seat after a closely contested election. The counting process, which began on Tuesday morning, continued for more than 40 hours before the result was finalised in the early hours of Thursday.

The Nagpur constituency carries political significance as the city is home to the headquarters of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and is also the home turf of Fadnavis and Union Minister Nitin Gadkari.

How Congress turned the contest around in Nagpur

The contest remained tight during the initial counting rounds. Kohale was ahead after the second round, with 60,924 first-preference votes against Wanjari’s 56,630. Independent candidate Nitesh Karale had received 24,249 votes at that stage.

As no candidate secured the required quota to win outright, the counting proceeded to second-preference votes. Wanjari eventually moved ahead and secured victory by a margin of 3,271 votes.

The outcome allowed Congress to retain the constituency, which Wanjari had also won in the previous election.

Congress targets Modi and Fadnavis over social media posts

Congress leaders used the Nagpur result to respond to earlier social media remarks by Modi and Fadnavis suggesting that the party had failed to win any seats.

Fadnavis had posted that Congress had received a “big fat zero” in the elections. The Maharashtra Congress unit subsequently shared a screenshot of the deleted post and criticised the chief minister for commenting before all results had been finalised.

The state Congress unit also took a dig at Fadnavis over the deletion of his post. Party leaders argued that the final outcome in Nagpur contradicted the earlier claim about Congress drawing a blank.

Modi had also mocked Congress over its expected performance in the elections. Following Wanjari’s victory, Congress leaders said the result had overturned that narrative.

The political exchanges came against the backdrop of a closely fought contest in Nagpur, where BJP leaders had campaigned for Kohale.

Maha Vikas Aghadi wins three of five MLC seats

The Nagpur result was part of elections to five Maharashtra Legislative Council constituencies held on October 23. The opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) won three seats, while the ruling Mahayuti alliance secured two.

The results were as follows:

• Pune graduates’ constituency: Harshada Deshmukh-Jadhav of the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) won.
• Pune teachers’ constituency: BJP candidate Kaustubh Gawade won.
• Nagpur graduates’ constituency: Congress candidate Abhijit Wanjari retained the seat.
• Amravati teachers’ constituency: Kiran Sarnaik of the Shiv Sena won.
• Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar graduates’ constituency: NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) candidate Dr Pratap Sinh Patil won.

The results gave the opposition alliance three of the five seats, while the BJP and Shiv Sena, both part of the ruling Mahayuti alliance, secured one seat each.

Wanjari’s victory was particularly notable because of Nagpur’s political importance to the BJP. However, the result concerned the graduates’ constituency and should not be interpreted as a verdict on the entire state or a prediction of future election outcomes.