CM Race In MP, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh: BJP Likely To Replace Big Names With Young Guns

After registering landslide victories in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Chhattisgarh, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) top leadership is now busy churning over the names for Chief Ministers' posts. Though former Chief Ministers Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Vasundhara Raje, and Raman Singh have been re-elected, the top brass is likely to pick new faces for states keeping the upcoming Lok Sabha Elections in mind, NDTV reported citing sources.

Although the BJP central leadership has not officially called anyone to Delhi yet, the heavyweights have already started preparing future strategies. According to the report, a four-and-a-half hour meeting was held at the Prime Minister's residency where Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP chief JP Nadda were present to consider the frontrunners.

The party is also likely to appoint observers for MP, Rajasthan, and Chhattisgarh, who will collect CM candidates' feedback and pass it on to the top leadership.

Madhya Pradesh: Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, whose policies and good image powered the party to win Assembly elections, could be replaced by Jyotiraditya Scindia as the former Congressman is very popular among youth. Union Ministers Prahlad Patel, Narendra Singh Tomar, and senior BJP leader Kailash Vijayvargiya are also in the fray.

Rajasthan: In front of former Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje, young face Diya Kumari, and Hindu leader Mahant Balaknath have placed the bet for CM's post. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Union Ministers Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and Arjun Ram Meghwal, and Rajasthan BJP Chief CP Joshi are other prominent names in the race for Rajasthan CM.

Chhattisgarh: Ex-CM Raman Singh may face a challenge from Chhattisgarh BJP president Arun Kumar Sao and former IAS officer OP Chaudhary as top contenders for the Chief Minister post.