Chhattisgarh BJP MLAs to Meet, Pick Next Chief Minister

The BJPs newly-elected 54 MLAs in Chhattisgarh will meet on Sunday to choose the legislative party leader, deciding who will be the next chief minister.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is set to hold a crucial meeting of its newly elected 54 Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) in Chhattisgarh on Sunday, December 10, to select the legislative party leader. This meeting is highly anticipated as it will likely reveal the name of the next chief minister of the state.

Meeting Details and Attendees

The BJP's legislative party meeting will take place on Sunday at 12 noon in Raipur. Three observers from the party's central leadership will be present at the meeting: Union ministers Arjun Munda and Sarbananda Sonowal, and party general secretary Dushyant Kumar Gautam. Additionally, BJP's Chhattisgarh in-charge Om Mathur, Union minister Mansukh Mandaviya, and party co-incharge for the state Nitin Nabin will also attend.

No Formula for CM Selection

When asked about the process of electing the chief minister, Om Mathur clarified that there is no specific formula for making this decision. He stated that the BJP's parliamentary board has established a system that will be followed in this regard.

Confidence in 2024 Lok Sabha Victory

During the press conference, Om Mathur expressed confidence that the Congress party will be defeated in the 2024 parliamentary elections in Chhattisgarh. He highlighted the BJP's strong performance in the 2018 Lok Sabha elections, where the party won 9 out of the total 11 seats in the state, while the Congress managed to secure only two constituencies.

Speculations about Chief Minister Contenders

As the BJP did not declare a chief ministerial candidate during the recent assembly elections, there has been much speculation about who will take on this role. Some potential contenders from the tribal community include former Union minister Vishnu Deo, Renuka Singh, former state ministers Ramvichar Netam and Lata Usendi, and MP Gomti Sai. From the Other Backward Classes (OBC) community, state BJP chief Arun Sao and bureaucrat-turned-politician O P Choudhary are also being considered as possible candidates.

The BJP's meeting on Sunday will put an end to the suspense surrounding the next chief minister of Chhattisgarh. The party's decision will have significant implications for the state's political landscape and will set the stage for the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha elections.