This is perhaps the first time BJP is struggling to pick chief minister after getting clear majority in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh.
Regional satraps – Vasundhara Raje, Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Raman Singh – have been the faces of BJP in Rajasthan Madhya Pradesh and Chhatisgarh – for the last two decades. All three became chief minister for first time during same period. Shivraj Singh, though became in 2005 while Vasundhara Raje and Raman Singh took charge in 2003.
The prime minister Narendra Modi is also one of their contemporaries becoming chief minister of Gujarat for he first time in 2001.
Since, all four have been chief ministers of respective states during the same period of time before Modi got elevated to become the prime minister in 2014, Modi is finding it little difficult to neutralise the influence of these three stalwarts, who used to share platform at equal levels with Modi then.
Among these BJP top honchos, Vasundhara Raje is the only chief minister who could not repeat her government and shared power alternatively with Ashok Gehlot.
In 2018 also, the situation could have been similar had BJP won in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.
“In all three states, Congress won the elections and formed government. BJP led by Shivraj Singh though managed to get back power in 2020 with the help of Jyotiraditya Scindia,” said Mahendra Singh Chouhan, a political analyst.
Had BJP wanted to carry on with the old leadership, it would not have difficult to name chief minister. But this time the party is serious about trying new leadership in these states.
“Party is in a Catch-22 situation. It wants new faces but doesn't know how to get rid of older leadership, which is still the most popular in respective states. The faster they decide, the better will be for the party,” said a senior BJP leader.
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