The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has begun the hunt for the fitting chief ministerial candidates in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Chhattisgarh, where the party earned a landslide victory in the recently held assembly elections. According to a report, Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP national president JP Nadda have held deliberations, and the central leadership may designate a team of officers to select the right persons for the chief ministerial posts.
Still, BJP state leaders have no clue about who would lead the state, as they fought the election on the back of Prime Minister Narendra Modi”s sumptuous leadership. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had not even named a chief ministerial candidate ahead of the election, unlike their main rival, the Indian National Congress.
The majority of the recently elected members in Madhya Pradesh credited the victory to PM Modi, negating incumbent chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan”s policies. When asked about the “Ladli Behna” scheme, through which the Chauhan government distributed Rs. 2500 to each eligible house in Madhya Pradesh, MLA Kailash Vijayvargiya said the party has won in Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh elections despite having such policies. This implies the significant role played by PM Modi in the election.
However, many state leaders hope that the party may offer key positions to a new line of leaders. Still, Chouhan is the top contender for the chief minister position. The other lineup includes Union ministers Prahlad Patel, Jayotiraditya Sciindia, and Narendra Singh Tomar. However, even Patel has been crediting the victory to PM Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah.
Union ministers Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and Arjun Ram Meghwal, state party president C. P. Joshi, Diya Kumari, and Mahant Balaknath are the top contenders in Rajasthan for the chief ministerial post. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla is also dragged into the fray.
In Chhattisgarh, former chief minister Raman Singh, state BJP president Arun Kumar Sao, and Dharamlal Kaushik are the OBC candidates for the chief ministerial post. Former IAS officer O. P. Chaudhary may also be considered.