Madhya Pradesh: BJP to hold legislature party meeting in Bhopal on Dec 11; likely to announce CM candidate

The meeting is scheduled to be held at the state BJP office here at around 4 pm under the supervision of the three central observers appointed by the party.

The BJP on Thursday announced the three central observers which include Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar, K Laxman, National President, OBC Morcha and Aasha Lakda, National Secretary for the state.

Notably, the party made central observers last time in the state in 2005 when former CM Babu Lal Gaur left the CM post. After that CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan took the oath for the first time as Chief Minister of the state in November 2005. Earlier, the central observers were appointed in 2004 when former CM Uma Bharti left the CM post and after that Babu Lal Gaur was appointed as CM of the state.

Since then, no central observers were appointed in the state. During the state assembly polls 2008 and 2013, BJP remained in power and Chouhan continued to be the CM of the state.

During 2018 assembly polls, the Congress returned to power with veteran leader Kamal Nath taking oath as the chief minister but a political upheaval rocked the state in 2020 after then-Congressman Jyotiraditya Scindia, along with 22 loyalist MLAs, switched over to the saffron camp.

The Congress government fell after being reduced to a minority and the BJP formed the government, with Shivraj Singh Chouhan returning as chief minister.

But this time again when the BJP emerged victorious with a thumping majority, the party has appointed central observers so speculations are being made in the political corridor that the party may bring a new CM face in the state.

Madhya Pradesh went to poll for 230 assembly seats in a single phase on November 17 and the counting of votes was done on December 3.

The BJP, which had been battling close to 20 years of incumbency in the state, won a resounding mandate bagging 163 seats while the Congress finished a distant second at 66 seats. (ANI)