BJP's team of three central observers reach Bhopal to decide on next CM of Madhya Pradesh

Three central observers of the BJP, including Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, reached Bhopal on Monday to take part in a meeting of the newly-elected party MLAs and decide on the next chief minister of the state.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) retained power in MP following the November 17 polls, winning 163 seats in the 230-member assembly, leaving the Congress a distant second with 66 seats.

The saffron party's central observers - Khattar, OBC Morcha head K Laxman and secretary Asha Lakra - reached state capital Bhopal by a special plane at around 11.30 am.

State party chief VD Sharma and other leaders welcomed them at the Bhopal airport.

From the airport, the three observers headed to the chief minister's residence to meet CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

According to the schedule given to the MLAs, the meeting is expected to begin at 4 pm on Monday and the name of CM is likely to be announced later in the evening.

The state BJP office was decked up with flowers and posters of Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with the slogan "MP ke Man Mein Modi, Desh Ke Man Mein Modi".

The BJP is going to form government for the fifth time in Madhya Pradesh in two decades. It earlier came to power in the state in 2003, 2008, 2013 and 2020.