Bhopal, March 23 Shivraj Singh Chouhan has been re-elected as the BJP Legislature Party chief in a meeting at the party's state headquarters on Monday.
This facilitates his re-appointment as the Chief Minister for a record fourth time.
Besides Arjun Singh and Shyama Charan Shukla who have held the post thrice each, Chouhan is the third leader to do so. He has also been the longest serving Chief Minister of the state so far.
Chouhan who was first elected MLA in 1990 went on to be the member of Lok Sabha next year. He returned to the state in 2005.
Gopal Bhargava, who was the leader of the legislature party till a couple of hours ago has made way for Chouhan. Bhargava said the observers for the legislature party meeting Vinay Sahasrabuddhe and Arun Singh have through video conferencing conducted the election of the leader.
Shivraj Singh Chouhan who has been the national vice-president of party and MLA has been unanimously asked to lead the state again, said Bhargava.
He was first made the chief minister in 2005 after short spells of Uma Bharti and Babulal Gaur.
In his acceptance speech Chouhan said he will take every party member along. Chouhan who will be sworn by 9 pm in an austere ceremony, said he would start working at the state secretariat right from Monday night. Chouhan will be taking oath of the office alone while the cabinet will be formed later.
Chouhan said the first priority, as of now, is to fight COVID-19. The lockdown caused by COVID-19 in many cities had forced the party to delay the meeting. In a change of plans the election of the legislature party leader and the swearing in of the chief minister the Raj Bhawan was readied for swearing in at short notice.
The MLAs who were unable to make it to the capital were connected through video conferencing with the state capital and with central leadership in Delhi.
( With inputs from IANS )