Exploring Potential Candidates: Speculating on the Next Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) emerged victorious in the recent elections in Madhya Pradesh, raising questions about who will become the next chief minister of the state. Despite not projecting Shivraj Singh Chouhan as the chief ministerial face, the BJP’s strategy of relying on collective leadership and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s popularity paid off, as they secured 163 seats out of the total 230, while the Congress party won only 66 seats.

There were speculations that Chouhan was being sidelined due to several MPs, including three Union ministers, contesting in the Assembly polls. However, with the BJP’s impressive performance, Chouhan’s claim to the top job as the longest-serving chief minister in the history of the BJP has been strengthened.

Other potential candidates for the chief minister position include Union ministers Prahlad Singh Patel and Jyotiraditya Scindia, both from the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category, which represents about half of the state’s population. BJP National General Secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya and Union Minister Narendra Singh Tomar are also being considered.

Two Brahmin leaders, state party chief and first-time MP VD Sharma, and fifth-time MLA and a minister in the outgoing state cabinet, Rajendra Shukla, are seen as dark horses in the race. Both leaders come from the Vindhya region.

While some party members believe that Chouhan may continue as the chief minister until the next Lok Sabha polls, which could be less than six months away, others think that the party’s central leadership may opt for an alternative choice, considering the BJP’s comfortable majority with 166 seats.

Chouhan, popularly known as “Mama,” stated in an interview that decisions regarding leadership are made by the party, and he and others are workers who follow the party’s decisions. When questioned about the impact of Chouhan’s Ladli Behna Yojna scheme on the party’s victory, Vijayvargiya attributed the BJP’s success in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Rajasthan to “Modi magic.”

Among the OBC leaders, Patel, who played a significant role in the party’s success in various regions, is an experienced politician. Choosing him as the chief minister could also benefit the party in neighboring Uttar Pradesh. Scindia, who played a key role in the party’s victory in the Gwalior-Chambal region and other areas, is also seen as a strong contender due to his reported closeness to PM Modi. However, his recent entry into the BJP and potential resentment among old party members may affect his chances.

Scindia has expressed that he is not in the race for the chief minister position and remains committed to being a party worker. Tomar, who is the Union Agriculture Minister and the party’s state poll management committee chief, is also considered a strong candidate. However, the controversy surrounding his son’s alleged involvement in monetary deals captured on video may negatively impact his prospects.

As of now, the response to the question of who will become the next chief minister of Madhya Pradesh remains uncertain.