BJP leaves Chief Ministerial choice open as it faces unsettled trail in Madhya Pradesh
As the political battleground in Madhya Pradesh intensifies with the imminent Assembly elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is making a notable departure from convention, leaving the field wide open for potential chief ministerial candidates. Incumbent Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, with an impressive 18-year tenure, faces a challenging journey marked by controversies and defections within the state’s BJP wing.
The BJP’s recent release of its second list of candidates for the upcoming assembly polls has raised eyebrows, featuring 39 names that include Union ministers, four parliamentarians, and even a national general secretary. This unconventional move comes in the midst of a fierce battle against the Congress, with prominent figures such as Union Ministers Narendra Singh Tomar, Faggan Singh Kulaste, Prahlad Patel, MPs Ganesh Singh, Rakesh Singh, Reeti Pathak, and Uday Pratap Singh in the lineup. Additionally, BJP General Secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya has been named as a candidate for the legislative assembly elections.
Sources within the party suggest that a team of Union Ministers, under the leadership of Amit Shah, has taken on the significant responsibility of election management and strategy development in Madhya Pradesh.
Against this backdrop, Chief Minister Chouhan appears to grapple with two prominent challenges: growing anti-incumbency sentiments and the shadow of having led a government formed in March 2020 with the support of Congress defectors, spearheaded by Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia.
Interestingly, the BJP’s central leadership has refrained from projecting Chouhan as the party’s chief ministerial candidate, prompting questions about the central leaders’ active involvement in state elections.
Many senior BJP figures declined to comment on this matter, but a senior party leader in the national capital emphasised the willingness of all Union Ministers and MPs to serve the party organisation, wherever their contributions are required.
The current election season has pitted the BJP against a dynamic Congress campaign led by Kamal Nath, which mirrors the BJP in terms of strategies and focuses on critical issues such as Hindutva and development schemes.
The BJP’s decision to keep the chief ministerial choice open has sparked speculation among political analysts. Some interpret it as a deliberate strategy aimed at appeasing diverse caste groups, including Upper castes, OBCs, and STs, by fielding well-known candidates from these backgrounds.
Historically, the BJP refrains from announcing a chief ministerial candidate in opposition-ruled states and usually relies on the incumbent chief minister in states under its rule.
The ultimate decision on the chief minister typically falls to the party’s parliamentary board after the election results are declared.
In the midst of these developments, Chief Minister Chouhan witnessed Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s visit to Bhopal on August 21, during which Shah commended the state government’s accomplishments in shedding the ‘Bimaru’ label from Madhya Pradesh.
This visit underscored the central leadership’s active engagement in the state’s political landscape, suggesting a strategic shift influenced by the BJP’s recent setback in the Karnataka assembly elections.
In Karnataka, the BJP refrained from projecting a chief ministerial candidate, and a similar approach seems to be unfolding in Madhya Pradesh. Here, the leadership emphasises the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, directing the campaign’s focus toward national issues.
As the election date looms nearer, it becomes increasingly evident that the central leadership is disinclined to anoint Chief Minister Chouhan as the party’s official candidate.
