A week has been passed since the 2023 Assembly Election results were declared for Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Telangana, and Mizoram. The Congress party secured victory in Telangana, with Revanth Reddy being announced as the new Chief Minister. In Mizoram, the Zoram People's Movement (ZPM) emerged victorious, and Lalduhoma was declared the new Chief Minister. Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) emerged as the winner in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Chhattisgarh. However, they have faced criticism for keeping their cards close and not immediately announcing their chief ministerial candidates. This strategic move has stirred discussions and raised questions about the BJP's approach following their electoral success in these states.
The BJP has disclosed its strategy for selecting leaders in the aftermath of the recent elections. Union ministers Sarbananada Sonowal and Arjun Munda, along with party general secretary Dushyant Kumar Gautam, have been appointed as observers for Chhattisgarh. They are slated to convene a meeting with the 54 newly-elected MLAs to determine the legislative party leader, potentially resolving the speculation surrounding the Chief Ministerial role in the state. In Chhattisgarh, the BJP entered the elections without a declared Chief Ministerial candidate, fueling conjectures about the party's inclination towards fresh faces. While Raman Singh, Ramvichar Netam, Arun Sao, OP Chaudhary, Saroj Pandey, and Vishnu Deo Sai were considered frontrunners, there were also speculations that the party might opt for an OBC or tribal candidate if former CM Raman Singh is not selected. In the state's 90 assembly constituencies, the BJP secured 54 seats, while the Congress won 35, maintaining a substantial vote share of 46.27% to the incumbent Congress's 42.23%.
Following the Chhattisgarh developments, the BJP is set to hold a legislative party meeting in Bhopal tomorrow at 4 pm to announce the Chief Ministerial candidate for Madhya Pradesh. Among the top contenders are incumbent Shivraj Singh Chouhan, recognized for his welfare schemes, along with Prahlad Singh Patel, Kailash Vijayavargiya, and Jyotiraditya Scindia. Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar, OBC Morcha chief and Rajya Sabha MP K Laxman, and party national secretary Asha Lakra have been designated as observers for Madhya Pradesh. In the state's 230-member assembly, the BJP secured an impressive 163 seats, while the Congress, in contrast, only managed to secure 66 seats, down from the 114 it had won in the 2018 polls.
Talking about the Rajasthan CM Vasundhara Raje and Baba Balaknath have been the top contenders for CM postion. While Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Ashwini Vaishnav, Arjun Meghwal, CP Joshi, Baba Balaknath, Rajyavardhan Singh, Diya Kumari, Kirori Lal Meena, Om Birla, and Om Mathur are reportedly among the potential contenders.The crucial meeting in Jaipur on December 12 will be presided over by party observers for the state, namely Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Rajya Sabha MP Saroj Pandey, and senior BJP leader Vinod Tawde.