New Delhi:

The BJP has named a shock choose as the brand new Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh – Mohan Yadav, 58, a pacesetter from the Yadav OBC neighborhood. OBCs make up greater than half of the state’s inhabitants however, curiously, the Yadav neighborhood will not be among the many most influential.

On Monday night, Mr Yadav was elected as chief of the BJP’s legislative get together – 15 days after the get together routed the Congress to win Madhya Pradesh. The outgoing Higher Education Minister, he thanked the BJP, saying, “I am a small party worker… I thank the party for this opportunity.”

“I thank all of you… state and central leadership (and), with your love and support, I will try to fulfil my responsibilities,” Mr Yadav, festooned with garlands, stated after the assembly of the MLAs.

Soon after the BJP announcement, Mr Yadav met Governor Mangubhai Patel and staked a declare to type the following authorities.

READ | Who Is Mohan Yadav, New Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh

In a key transfer seen as an emphasis on unity, Mr Yadav was nominated by outgoing Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, a four-time head of the state authorities. “Other senior leaders… (former union ministers) Prahlad Patel and Narendra Singh Tomar, and (National General Secretary) Kailash Vijayvargiya supported the proposal, the BJP’s state unit boss, VD Sharma, told reporters.

The BJP, in a bid to soothe ruffled feathers ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha election, also named two deputy chief ministers – Jagdish Devda and Rajesh Shukla. Mr Devda was elected from Malhagarh by nearly 60,000 votes and Mr Shukla, who won the Rewa seat for a fifth time by around 21,000 votes.

Both Mr Devda and Mr Shukla also held cabinet berths in previous Chouhan governments.

Mr Tomar, one of three former cabinet members to contest the election, is the Assembly Speaker.

There was speculation he was in the running to succeed Mr Chouhan to the top post, as were Union Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia and Mr Patel. Both Mr Scindia and Mr Patel are also from OBCs. Mr Shukla, who must now be content with a deputy’s post, was believed to be a dark horse.

Shortly after Mr Yadav was announced, Shivraj Chouhan offered his congratulations, signalling an amicable transfer of power. Mr Chouhan hailed his successor as a hard-working person.

READ | Watch: Shivraj Chouhan Blesses Mohan Yadav, Who Replaced Him

“I’m assured that, below the ready steering of revered Prime Minister Narendra Modi, you’ll take Madhya Pradesh to new heights of progress and improvement and can create new data within the subject of public welfare. Many congratulations and finest needs for this new accountability!”

कर्मठ साथी श्री @DrMohanYadav51 जी को भाजपा विधायक दल की बैठक में मध्यप्रदेश का मुख्यमंत्री मनोनीत किये जाने पर हार्दिक बधाई।

मुझे विश्‍वास है कि आदरणीय प्रधानमंत्री श्री @narendramodi जी के कुशल मार्गदर्शन में आप मध्यप्रदेश को प्रगति एवं विकास की नई ऊँचाइयों पर ले जायेंगे तथा… pic.twitter.com/NkVo2PrV9x

— Shivraj Singh Chouhan (@ChouhanShivraj) December 11, 2023

The appointments end suspense over the identity of two of three chief ministers for the states the BJP won on December 3. Vishnu Deo Sai was named Chhattisgarh Chief Minister on Sunday.

READ | Tribal Leader Vishnu Deo Sai Is New Chhattisgarh Chief Minister

Now, of the five states that voted in November, only Rajasthan is without a Chief Minister; the Congress, which won Telangana, has installed Revanth Reddy in the top post and, in Mizoram, the fledgling Zoram People’s Movement claimed an impressive win and Lalduhoma is Chief Minister.

READ | Revanth Reddy Takes Oath As Telangana Chief Minister, Gandhis On Stage

A three-time MLA from Ujjain, Mr Yadav’s appointment has also been seen as the end of the political road (at least in the state) for his predecessor. Mr Chouhan is a four-time Chief Minister and arguably the BJP’s tallest leader in the state, but seemed to have been side-lined in favour of a campaign based on “collective management” built around Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s face.

The strategy reaped dividends; the BJP won 163 of 230 seats and the Congress, which actually won the 2018 election but saw its government fall two years later, was left with just 66, down from 114.

That campaign, though, also drew heavily from the popularity of Mr Chouhan’s many welfare schemes, including the ‘Ladli Behna Yojana‘ that emerged as his flagship measure.

The BJP’s win defied several exit polls’ predictions of a tight race with the Congress.

Mr Yadav’s delighted wife, meanwhile, thanked Lord Shiva for her husband’s elevation.

#WATCH | Ujjain, MP: After Mohan Yadav was elected as the new Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, his sister, says “Bhagwan Mahakal ka ashirwad hai, get together ka ashirwad hai. He has been working with the BJP since 1984. Whenever he used to return to Ujjain, he went to supply prayers to… pic.twitter.com/84hd1XNEHT

— ANI (@ANI) December 11, 2023

“Bhagwan Mahakal ka ashirwad hai… party ka ashirwad hai (This is thanks to the blessings of Lord Shiva… and the blessings of the party). He has been working with the BJP since 1984. Whenever he came to Ujjain, he went to offer prayers to Mahakal…” she advised information company ANI.

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