BJP’s Chief Minister Dilemma: New Faces Likely to be Considered for Key Heartland States

The BJP is considering new faces for the Chief Minister positions in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Chhattisgarh, where they achieved significant victories in the recent Assembly polls, said sources.

Sources indicate that the selection process is geared towards the 2024 general election. After winning in these states, the party’s central leadership, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and BJP chief JP Nadda, engaged in a lengthy meeting to discuss potential Chief Minister candidates.

Before this, Shah and Nadda held meetings with the BJP’s state in-charges to gather feedback about local leaders. Observers are expected to be appointed for Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Chhattisgarh to oversee meetings where newly elected MLAs will choose their leaders in the Assembly.

In Madhya Pradesh, contenders for the top post include incumbent Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Union ministers Prahlad Patel, Jyotiraditya Scindia, and Narendra Singh Tomar, as well as state leader Kailash Vijayvargiya. Rajasthan has several names in consideration, including former Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Union Ministers Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and Arjun Ram Meghwal, state party president C P Joshi, and leaders Diya Kumari and Mahant Balaknath. In Chhattisgarh, former Chief Minister Raman Singh, state BJP president Arun Kumar Sao, leader of opposition Dharamlal Kaushik, and former IAS officer O P Chaudhary are among the contenders.

However, it’s worth noting that the BJP leadership is known for surprising choices in such situations.