Mohan Yadav Takes Oath As Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister; PM Modi, Shah Present

A new era began in Madhya Pradesh as Mohan Yadav took oath as the state's new Chief Minister on Wednesday marking the end of BJP veteran Shivraj Singh Chouhan's nearly two-decade rule.

Governor Mangubhai Patel oversaw the swearing-in of Yadav, along with Jagdish Devda, a Dalit, and Rajendra Shukla, a Brahmin from the Vindhya region, as deputy CMs. The significant BJP event was graced by top leaders including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with a massive gathering at Bhopal's Lal Parade Ground.

The swearing-in ceremony drew a large crowd, attended by Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP president JP Nadda, and chief ministers from 11 BJP-ruled states. Yadav's hometown, Ujjain, also saw a substantial presence of BJP workers at the event. Earlier, Yadav, victor of the Ujjain South seat, expressed his intent to govern the state following the path laid by PM Modi.

"Madhya Pradesh will align itself with the principles guiding Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership. Hailing from the land of King Vikramaditya, I am dedicated to the state's progress and the fulfillment of millions of Madhya Pradesh citizens' aspirations. We aim to establish the same robust governance that thrived during King Vikramaditya's reign," quoted Yadav via ANI.

Mohan Yadav, an Other Backward Classes (OBC) representative, emerged as the unexpected choice by the BJP to steer the state, denying Chouhan a fifth term. OBCs constitute nearly 48% of Madhya Pradesh's populace. A businessman turned politician, Yadav won the Ujjain South seat consecutively in the 2013, 2018, and 2023 polls, serving as the Higher Education minister in the prior Shivraj Chouhan administration.

Possessing a Master's degree in political science from Vikram University, Yadav completed his PhD from the same institution in 2009. His appointment as CM signals BJP's outreach towards the dominant Yadav community in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha election, considering the community's sizable presence of 10-14% in these states.

BJP, riding on PM Modi's popularity and defying anti-incumbency, clinched 163 out of the 230 assembly seats in Madhya Pradesh. The Congress, previously in power briefly in 2018, dwindled to a mere 66 seats.