LUCKNOW, Oct. 20 -- Amid intensifying political activity ahead of 2027 Uttar Pradesh assembly elections, state BJP president and Union minister of state for finance Pankaj Chaudhary met Jansatta Dal (Loktantrik) chief and Kunda MLA Raghuraj Pratap Singh alias Raja Bhaiya at his official residence, 'Ramayan', in Lucknow on Monday, triggering speculation over possible political realignments. According to sources, the two leaders held a lengthy discussion. Although the meeting was officially described as a "courtesy call", its timing has drawn attention amid the BJP's preparations for the assembly polls. Since taking charge as state BJP president, Chaudhary has been reaching out to political figures across the state. He recently met the family of socialist ideologue Ram Manohar Lohia, held a core group meeting with BJP national general secretary (organisation) BL Santosh, chief minister Yogi Adityanath and deputy chief ministers Brajesh Pathak and Keshav Prasad Maurya, and inducted three rebel Samajwadi Party MLAs - Rakesh Pratap Singh, Abhay Singh and Vinod Chaturvedi - into the BJP in Amethi, describing their entry as "ghar wapasi". The meeting with Raja Bhaiya is significant given the latter's influence in Pratapgarh and adjoining areas of central Uttar Pradesh. A six-time MLA from Kunda since 1993, Raja Bhaiya has never lost an assembly election. His party has two MLAs and has maintained a degree of distance from both the BJP and the Samajwadi Party, while extending support to the BJP government on several occasions....