The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will announce the Chief Ministerial candidate today (December 11) after meeting with the elected legislators in the state. The BJP swept the state assembly elections on December 3, 2023, winning 163 seats out of 230, while the Congress was reduced to 66 seats.
The party appointed Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar, OBC Morcha President Dr K Laxman, and National Secretary Asha Lakra to oversee the CM choice after a meeting with elected legislators.
- In Madhya Pradesh, the consensus is likely to be for CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who is also the longest-serving minister of Madhya Pradesh since 2005.
- However, the party had not announced his candidacy as it was expected that there could be a loss of seats due to anti-incumbency.
- But the election results favored Shivraj Chouhan, who had the biggest victory after the 2013 state assembly elections. In 2013, the BJP under Chouhan won 165 seats, and this time, the number is 2 seats short at 165.
- Fondly called "Mamaji" by his followers, CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan commands a massive following among the people, as do his schemes for women like the ‘Chief Minister Ladli Behna Yojana’.
- What also works in Chouhan's favor is that he is an OBC leader, which might strengthen his chances to stake a claim for the CM post once again.
- However, the BJP can surprise, keeping in mind several factors, including the 2024 Lok Sabha general elections.
Who are the other top contenders?
If the party decides not to go for Shivraj Singh Chouhan, there are notably two leaders in the race: Union Minister Prahlad Singh Patel and Kailash Vijayvargiya.
- The Union Minister from the Vajpayee era is a long-time member of the party and is the top runner for the CM post in MP besides Chouhan.
- The former Minister for Food Processing Industries was fielded by the party from the Narsinghpur constituency, his birthplace.
- Patel had a comprehensive victory from the seat, defeating Congress rivals by more than 31,000 votes.
- The 63-year-old leader resigned as Lok Sabha Minister on December 3, 2023, indicating that the party has plans for him in the state.
- He is another Union Minister asked by the party to contest the MP state elections in 2023.
- Vijayvargiya was pitched by the party from the Indore-1 seat, where he had outsmarted the Congress candidate by 57,939 votes.
- The 67-year-old leader is one of the biggest BJP leaders in the state, as he has never lost an assembly election in MP.
- He is the serving National General Secretary of the party and was elevated to the party central leadership after strengthening the BJP in MP.
- Vijaywargiya has also resigned from his Lok Sabha membership and is expected to be given a role in the MP state government.