Shivraj likely to be back in saddle soon
Shivraj Singh Chouhan is the front runner in the race for the post of chief minister with BJP gearing up to form its government in Madhya Pradesh following collapse of 15-monthold Kamal Nath regime in MP on Friday.
Chouhan who had played a key role in keeping his flock of BJP MLAs together in the face of the threat by Congress to split BJP Legislature Party to save the Kamal Nath government after it was reduced to minority following resignation of 22 rebel Congress legislators from assembly, is billed to be elected leader of the legislature party in a day or two. “Top BJP leadership will take the call on the matter. The BJP legislators will meet here in a day or two to elect their leader”, former minister and senior party leader Narottam Mishra who was said to be the architect of the collapse of Kamal Nath government said here on Friday.
“BJP high command will decide who will be the chief minister in the new government in Madhya Pradesh”, Union minister
Narendra Singh Tomar said in Delhi on Friday after chief minister Kamal Nath resigned from his post.
Sources said the party high command was sending a three-member-team of the party comprising Union ministers Tomar and Dharmendra Pradesh and senior leader Jyotiraditya Scindia who joined BJP recently, to Bhopal on Saturday to begin the exercise of choosing the leader of the legislature party on consensus basis.
Interestingly, Chouhan released a photo in social media showing him paying obeisance in a Shiva temple barely a few minutes after outgoing chief minister Kamal Nath announced his resignation, indicating that he is the front runner in the race for the top post.
Chouhan announced to host dinner for party MLAs which was cancelled later due to threat of Coronavirus outbreak.
He also released a video message for the people urging them to take preventive measures to save them from Coronavirus infection.
Chouhan was also seen leading the BJP legislators to the assembly where a
worry if CAA gets implemented. NRC is not there and will not be implemented in the state,” Mr Thackeray had tweeted. floor test was supposed to be conducted for the Kamal Nath government to prove its majority on Friday.
The resignation of Kamal Nath saw a further reduction in the Congress’s footprint in the country.
With the fall of its government in Madhya Pradesh, the grand old party now rules only in five states — Punjab, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, besides Jharkhand and Maharashtra, where it is in power with the help of its allies and is a fringe player — and the Union Territory of Puducherry.