BJP does what Congress didn’t do in 2018

In a surprise move, the BJP has named Mohan Yadav as the new CM of Madhya Pradesh. On Monday evening, Yadav was elected as leader of the BJP’s legislative party – 15 days after the party routed the Congress in Madhya Pradesh. Yadav, who is the outgoing higher education minister, thanked the BJP, and said, “I am a small party worker… I thank the party for this opportunity.”

“I thank all of you… state and central leadership (and), with your love and support, I will try to fulfil my responsibilities,” Mr Yadav said after the meeting of MLAs.

Yadav, 58, belongs to the OBC community, which comprise more than half of the state’s population. However, the Yadav community is not among the influential.

Soon after the BJP announcement, Yadav met Governor Mangubhai Patel and staked a claim to form the next government.

Though former CM Shivraj Singh Chauhan was lauded for making the BJP tread the victory path with his ‘ladli behna’ scheme, he was left out, as the BJP went in for complete generational change, while keeping astute social messaging intact: yesterday, tribal face for Chattisgarh, today OBC Yadav face for MP, 2 deputy CMs — one a Brahmin, the other an SC with Narendra Tomar, a Thakur, as Speaker.

Vishnu Deo Sai was named Chhattisgarh Chief Minister on Sunday.

The BJP leadership’s decision may be harsh on Chauhan aka Mamaji, the four-time CM, but then this is a ‘new’ Modi Shah ‘yug’ BJP where power is wielded with an iron fist and nobody can dare dissent.

Significantly, all the BJP CMs now are of post Vajpayee Advani era. In a sense, BJP does what Congress didn’t do in 2018: go with younger faces to freshen up the party leadership.

At the same time, the BJP, it is being said, is trying to soothe ruffled feathers ahead of the 2024 generaL elections, by naming two deputy chief ministers – Jagdish Devda and Rajesh Shukla. Devda was elected from Malhagarh by nearly 60,000 votes and Mr Shukla, who won the Rewa seat for a fifth time by around 21,000 votes.

Both Devda and Shukla held cabinet berths in previous Chouhan governments too.

Tomar, one of three former cabinet members to contest the polls, is the Assembly Speaker.

Shortly after Mr Yadav was announced, Shivraj Chouhan offered his congratulations, signalling an amicable transfer of power. Mr Chouhan hailed his successor as a hard-working person.

The appointments end suspense over the identity of two of three chief ministers for the states the BJP won on December 3.