Why BJP may pick new faces over old warhorses for CM job in 3 states

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is yet to pick its chief ministerial candidate for the three Hindi heartland states – Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh – that it won recently. The saffron party retained power in MP, while trouncing the Congress in the other two states. Several names of who could be selected for the top posts are doing rounds. However, the BJP has not made any official announcements so far. Who will the saffron party choose as its CM picks in the three states? Will it go with the old warhorses or bring new faces? Let’s take a look. Will BJP choose a new face? As per multiple media reports, the saffron party could go with new faces this time in Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh as well as MP. Although the party’s former CM faces have been re-elected in all three states – Vasundhara Raje in Rajasthan, Shivraj Singh Chouhan in MP and Raman Singh in Chhattisgarh, the party is likely to go with fresh faces.

BJP to give responsibility of CM post to new faces in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, where assembly polls were held recently: Sources

— ANI (@ANI) December 6, 2023

Sources told NDTV that generational change could be a criterion while picking the CMs, along with keeping in mind the 2024 general elections. The BJP brass has been holding hectic parleys with the state units since the Assembly results were declared on Sunday (3 December). As per a Hindustan Times (HT) report, a high-level meeting of the party was held at the residence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday (5 December). Union home minister Amit Shah and BJP president JP Nadda were also present at the huddle, which was to decide the schedule of the parliamentary board – BJP’s highest decision-making body – that will appoint observers for the legislative party meetings in the three states, the newspaper report added. [caption id=“attachment_13473552” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] PM Narendra Modi and former Rajasthan CM Vasundhara Raje at a public meeting in the desert state ahead of the Assembly elections on 21 November. PTI File Photo[/caption] After this meeting, Shah and Nadda met the BJP’s in-charge of MP, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh to get feedback about the state leaders, reported NDTV. A BJP functionary told HT that the party high command will review the inputs before taking a decision. “What the senior leadership does not appreciate is flexing muscle. Reports of leaders showing strength by parading MLAs is not welcomed,” he added. While the party leader did not mention anyone particularly, the comment is viewed as a reference to legislators flocking to Raje to show their support, according to the newspaper. The BJP legislature party meeting is likely to take place on Wednesday (6 December) or tomorrow, HT reported. The saffron party had gone to polls without projecting a CM face in any state, with PM Modi leading the election campaign. ALSO READ: The Rise of Revanth Reddy: Meet the new Telangana chief minister Who are the contenders? In Madhya Pradesh, the outgoing CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan has claimed he is not a contender for the top job. The four-time CM, whose welfare schemes like ‘Ladli Behna’ scheme are believed to be a major factor for the BJP’s thumping victory in the state, said in a video posted recently on X, “Neither was I the CM contender earlier nor now. I am just a party worker and whatever post or duty the party will give I will fulfil that”. He said his next goal was to ensure the BJP’s triumph in all 29 Lok Sabha seats in the next year’s elections. However, his recent actions and remarks are being seen as hints to the party high command, making his case for the CM post. Addressing a public gathering in Chhindwara on Wednesday, the incumbent CM said, “BJP got 48.6 per cent votes which we have not got till now. When we won 173 seats, the vote percentage was 42 per cent. You have done a miracle”, reported ANI.

#WATCH | At a public meeting in Chhindwara, Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan says, "...BJP got 48.6% votes which we have not got till now. When we won 173 seats, the vote percentage was 42%. You have done a miracle." pic.twitter.com/RHiP7c8HfU

— ANI (@ANI) December 6, 2023

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Besides Chouhan, Union ministers Prahlad Patel, Jyotiraditya Scindia and Narendra Singh Tomar, and BJP national general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya are probables for the top job. The BJP top brass is unlikely to go with Raje in Rajasthan. Given her uneasy relationship with the party high command, the veteran royal could be sidelined. However, Raje remains the BJP’s tallest leader in the state whose appeal cuts across all castes. Several newly-elected MLAs met Raje as well as Rajasthan BJP chief CP Joshi in Jaipur on Tuesday (5 December), as per HT. Like Madhya Pradesh, the saffron party fielded several MPs this time in Rajasthan, who could be the frontrunners for the top post. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Union ministers Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and Arjun Ram Meghwal, state unit president CP Joshi, and key leaders Kirodi Lal Meena, Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, Diya Kumari and Mahant Balaknath are seen as contenders for the CM post. BJP’s Rajasthan in-charge Arun Singh told HT that the CM will be picked soon. “Whatever decision is taken by the parliamentary board will be acceptable to all”. In Chhattisgarh, the names of ex-CM Raman Singh, state party unit chief Arun Kumar Sao, former IAS officer OP Choudhary, prominent leaders Renuka Singh and Dharamlal Kaushik, and ex-Union minister Vishnu Deo Sai are creating buzz. With inputs from agencies