In second rung

Other provincial chiefs who functioned autonomously

KALYAN SINGH: First Uttar Pradesh CM from the BJP. Seen as L K Advani's protégé but became independent of him. Had frequent run-ins with Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Murli Manohar Joshi MADAN LALKHURANA: Former Delhi CM. The BJP never found as popular a leader after him in Delhi. Interventions by the party’s central leadership tied his hands in government BHAIRON SINGH SHEKHAWAT: Former Rajasthan CM. Identified with Vajpayee. Sought to raise himself as a power centre unto himself. Ambitions were nipped when Vasundhara Raje was brought in his place B S YEDDYURAPPA: Former Karnataka CM. Took on Advani and Sushma Swaraj The ones cherry-picked by Shah and Modi DEVENDRA FADNAVIS: Maharashtra CM SARBANANDA SONOWAL: Assam CM MANOHAR LAL KHATTAR: Haryana CM RAGHUBAR DAS: Jharkhand CM JAIRAM THAKUR: Himachal Pradesh CM

VIJAYRUPANI: Gujarat CM

Yogi Adityanath as UP CM pick was dictated bythe RSS-VHP