CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan and State BJP president V.D. Sharma congratulate Mohan Yadav, BJP MLA from Ujjain South, after his election as the BJP’s Legislature Party leader in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh on December 11, 2023. (Image Source: PTI)
Mohan Yadav, a BJP MLA from Ujjain, is set to assume the position of a new Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh
In a surprising move on December 11, the BJP announced Ujjain-Dakshin MLA Dr. Mohan Yadav as their pick for the legislature party leader and the forthcoming Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh.
Alongside Mr. Yadav, an OBC member, the incoming BJP administration is slated to include two deputy CMs: Jagdish Devda from Malhargarh, a Dalit, and Rajendra Shukla from Rewa, a Brahmin. The OBCs represent approximately 52% of the State’s populace, while the Scheduled Castes account for nearly 17%.
Narendra Singh Tomar, who recently resigned from his positions as a Union Cabinet Minister and Member of Parliament after securing victory in the Assembly polls, has been nominated as the next Assembly Speaker.
Mr. Yadav’s nomination as the 19th Chief Minister of the State emerged during the BJP legislature party meet in Bhopal, where outgoing CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan proposed his name. Supported by key party figures like Mr. Tomar, Kailash Vijayvargiya, and Prahlad Singh Patel, the decision was confirmed by M.P. BJP president V.D. Sharma.
This choice was made in the presence of central observers, including Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar, K. Lakshman, the party’s OBC Morcha chief, and Asha Lakra, the party’s national secretary. After the announcement, Mr. Yadav, alongside other leaders, met State Governor Mangubhai Patel to stake his claim for forming the government, while Mr. Chouhan tendered his resignation.
The swearing-in ceremony is scheduled post-December 13, coinciding with the oath-taking of the newly elected Chhattisgarh CM Vishnu Deo Sai. Mr. Yadav, a three-term MLA from Ujjain-Dakshin, will succeed Mr. Chouhan, who held the position since 2005, except for a 15-month period during the Congress’s tenure from December 2018 to March 2020.
Having won the recent State Assembly elections by a notable margin from his Ujjain Dakshin seat, Mr. Yadav previously secured victories in 2013 and 2018. He held the higher education portfolio in Mr. Chouhan’s government and previously served as the chairperson of the Madhya Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation.
Notably, Mr. Yadav and Mr. Devda hail from the Malwa-Nimar region, while Mr. Shukla belongs to the Vindhya region, areas where the BJP had a significant victory in the recent State polls.
Expressing gratitude to several leaders, including PM Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and BJP national president J.P. Nadda, Mr. Yadav pledged to continue the developmental initiatives initiated by PM Modi and Mr. Chouhan.
This decision puts an end to speculations about various names in the running for the CM post, including Mr. Chouhan, Mr. Tomar, Mr. Patel, Mr. Sharma, Mr. Vijayvargiya, and Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia. Mr. Yadav also admitted that his nomination came as a surprise to him.
Congratulating the newly appointed leaders, Mr. Chouhan expressed confidence in their ability to lead Madhya Pradesh towards progress and welfare under PM Modi’s guidance.