MP Polls: BJP’s bigwigs considered as next CM post contenders in the election fray
BHOPAL: BJP has fielded several leaders who are considered as the next Chief Minister’s post contenders if the party is voted to power in Madhya Pradesh, are in the election fray for the November 17 Assembly polls.
Leaving decades-long tradition of projection CM face ahead of the Assembly polls, the BJP has not announced any name for the post in this election while the party has fielded several heavyweights including Union Ministers, MPs and the party’s national-level office bearer.
Fourth-term and incumbent CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan is in the election fray from his traditional Assembly seat Budhni of Sehore district. Even though he was projected as the CM face in the 2008, 2013 and 2018 polls, the BJP has not announced his name this time. Giving a message of former CM Kamal Nath’s line of soft Hindutva, Congress has fielded actor Vikram Mastal who has played the role of Lord Hanuman in the Ramayana-2 TV serial, against CM Chouhan from this constituency.
MP Home Minister and senior party leader Dr Narottam Mishra is contesting the election from the Datia constituency. Mishra who has been active in state politics for decades is the single name which is considered for the CM post contender from state politics and the BJP has included him in the list of star campaigners.
Mishra is a sixth-term MLA and has been minister several times in the state cabinet. He was first elected to the 9th Assembly in 1990 and was re-elected in 1998 and 2003 from the Dabra constituency of Gwalior district. After the delimitation, the Dabra seat was reserved for SC and he chose the adjoining Datia constituency for electoral politics. In the political corridors, Mishra is considered close aid to Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Congress has fielded Rajendra Bharti, a staunch political opponent of Mishra, from this seat.
Union Minister Narendra Singh Tomar, a big name in the BJP has been fielded by the party from the Dimini Assembly segment of his parliamentary constituency, he is facing a challenge from his own Tomar (Kshatriya) community as Congress has given a ticket to its sitting MLA Ravindra Singh Tomar against him. Aam Aadmi Party has also fielded a Kshatriya leader Surendra Singh Tomar from this seat. Political commentators consider that Union Minister Tomar will be a strong name for the CM post if the BJP is voted to power.
BJP’s national general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya who is considered to have a stronghold in the Malwa region of the state is contesting Assembly polls from the Indore-1 constituency. Sitting MLA Sanjay Shukla is giving a tough challenge to Vijayvargiya from the Congress side. BJP has denied a ticket to Vijayavargiya’s son Akash who is a sitting legislator from Indore-3.
Similarly, Union Minster and a prominent Tribal face Faggan Singh Kulaste has been fielded by the BJP from Niwas ST reserved seat of Mandla seat. Kulaste has recently made a statement that no leader is bigger in structure in MP than him. The state has around 21 per cent tribal population. If the BJP wins the elections and gives importance to the community, he may be a strong contender for the next CM post.
In addition to them, Union Minister Prahlad Singh Patel has also been fielded from Narsinghpur seat. Patel hails from Other Backward Class and has been several times minister in the Union cabinet.
