Shivraj Singh Chouhan To Remain Madhya Pradesh CM, VD Sharma BJP State Chief: Amit Shah Affirms In Bhopal Meet

Putting an end to speculations, Union Home Minister Amit Shah affirmed that there will be no change in Madhya Pradesh BJP's (Bharatiya Janata Party) leadership.

This means that Shivraj Singh Chouhan will remain the Chief Minister and Vishnu Dutt Sharma the state BJP president, despite the earlier news of rifts between the two.

However, Shah did not explicitly state whether Chouhan would continue as the CM if the party were to win the assembly elections.

The main purpose of Shah's closed door meeting in Bhopal was to review the preparations of the state party machinery for the upcoming assembly elections.

This meeting marked Shah's first interaction with state BJP leaders following the appointment of Union ministers Bhupender Yadav and Ashwini Vaishnaw as the election incharge and co-incharge for Madhya Pradesh.

The party has decided to assign different leaders with responsibilities in various parts of the state. He urged the senior leaders to put their egos aside and work in unison.

Shah emphasized that while large crowds at rallies are positive, they should not be the sole indicator of success in a particular region. Leaders and workers were encouraged to focus on grassroots efforts rather than becoming complacent with rally attendance.

The strategy

VD Sharma revealed that the party plans to organize a 'Vijay Sankalp Abhiyan' to connect with the masses ahead of the assembly polls.

Additionally, an internal survey conducted by the state BJP found that the performance of 40 per cent of sitting BJP MLAs was below expectations, potentially affecting their chances of receiving tickets for the upcoming elections.

The "team Amit Shah" will monitor poll preparations from Delhi, and Shah himself is expected to visit the state regularly and oversee the campaign.

Efforts are also being made to ensure efficient ticket distribution and address concerns among party members regarding potential bias toward "Scindia loyalists" who joined the BJP last year.

Central leaders will be responsible for ensuring a fair process where winnability is the main criterion. All leaders have been instructed to reach out to all sections of society, particularly tribals and the Scheduled Caste (SC) community.

Shah emphasized the need for a pro-government campaign that highlights the achievements of the party's governments at the state and central levels.

He expressed concern over the party's perceived inability to aggressively counter the opposition in MP and urged BJP leaders to target former Congress chief ministers Kamal Nath and Digvijaya Singh on a daily basis.

Senior leaders of the MP BJP, including CM Chouhan, Home Minister Narottam Mishra, poll incharge Bhupender Yadav, co-incharge Ashwani Vaishnaw, and state president Sharma were present in the meeting.

Union ministers Jyotiraditya Scindia, Narendra Singh Tomar, Prahlad Patel, and state incharge P Muralidhar Rao, among others, were also present.

Shah emphasized that the role of the state unit is not only to highlight the welfare work under the leadership of Chouhan but also to ensure coordination between the state and central governments.

He expressed dissatisfaction with the campaign's progress and urged the leaders to adopt a more aggressive approach.

In the 2003 assembly elections, the BJP won 173 seats compared to the Congress' 38 in the 230-member assembly. However, the BJP's seat count decreased to 143 in 2008 under Chouhan's leadership.

In 2013, the BJP's tally rose to 165, while the Congress could only secure 58 seats. The 2018 elections marked a significant setback for the BJP, with its seat count dropping to 109 while the Congress gained 114 seats.

However, the BJP was able to form government in the state in March 2020 when Jyotiraditya Scindia joined the party along with his loyal MLAs.