No Decision On Chief Ministers Yet By BJP, Observers Being Appointed
It has been five days since the assembly election results were declared for Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Chhattisgarh, but still, one of the largest political parties in the world, the BJP, is finding it difficult to name the chief ministers for the respective states. Reports suggest that the BJP, the party that wrested control from Congress in Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh and is the incumbent party in Madhya Pradesh, will appoint observers for the three states on Friday to decide on the chief ministers.
Unlike Congress, the BJP hasn”t announced chief minister candidates during the November elections for these states. Reports claim, citing party insiders, that the Prime Minister Modi-led party will opt for fresh faces in these northern states.
However, Congress was quick to announce the Telangana Chief Minister by naming its party chief in the state, Revanth Reddy, the same person who helmed the election campaign. He was sworn in on Thursday in the presence of a massive crowd and party leaders, including the Gandhis, in Hyderabad.
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Current chief minister and party’s national vice president Shivraj Singh Chouhan remains a formidable candidate in Madhya Pradesh, given the party”s resounding victory with a two-thirds majority. Mr Chouhan has fought the Madhya Pradesh elections after facing an almost 18-year anti-incumbency in the state and emerged victorious with a mammoth majority. Apart from Mr Chauhan, Union ministers Prahlad Patel, Jyotiraditya Scindia, and Narendra Singh Tomar are also considered potential contenders.
In Chhattisgarh, political analysts identify former chief minister Raman Singh, state BJP president Arun Kumar Sao, Leader of the Opposition Dharamlal Kaushik, and former IAS officer OP Chaudhary as possible candidates.
As for Rajasthan, former chief minister Vasundhara Raje, who had an on and off communication with the party top brass due to the internal strives in the party and a two-time chief minister, emerges as a key contender for the top post. On Monday, 25 BJP MLAs met with her in what appeared to be a demonstration of support and strength. While the MLAs characterized it as a courtesy meeting, they expressed their commitment to support Ms. Raje if the party leadership selects her for the top post. Ms. Raje, accompanied by her son Dushyant Singh, also met with BJP chief JP Nadda in Delhi this evening.
Aside from Ms. Raje, who secured victory in the assembly elections from the Jhalrapatan seat, potential contenders for the chief minister”s post in Rajasthan include Union ministers Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and Arjun Meghwal, as well as party MPs Baba Balaknath and Diya Kumari, both of whom also emerged victorious in the assembly polls.
