What's Next For Shivraj Singh Chouhan After Making Way For Mohan Yadav As MP CM?

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan submitted his resignation to Governor Mangubhai Patel after Mohan Yadav was elected as the leader of the state legislative party at a meeting held on Monday.

Chouhan reached Raj Bhavan immediately after the meeting of newly-elected MLAs concluded and tendered his resignation. This development took many by surprise after the BJP registered a landslide victory in the Madhya Pradesh assembly polls.

He had said that he had not been a contender for the CM's post in the past, nor was he one now.

The BJP in MP this time contested the November 17 assembly elections without projecting incumbent Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan as its CM face. It was after 20 years that the party did not name its chief ministerial candidate before polls in MP.

The central leadership of the BJP took a big risk considering that the Lok Sabha elections will be held in the next few months. Chouhan was a popular CM, a had clean image, and surveys had shown that his 'Ladli Behna' was a game changer which helped the the saffron party to beat anti-incumbency.

So why did the BJP took a bold move?
It's an era of generational shift and the BJP has been doing it in many states. However, there are time it has backfired and one fine example is Karnataka where the the central leadership replaced Lingayat strongman BS Yediyurappa with Basavaraj Bommai.

This did not resonate well with the Lingayat community, resulting in a electoral defeat for the saffron party in the assembly polls held earlier this year.

In an attempt to win back the lost love with Lingayats, the central leadership made BS Yediyurappa's son BY Vijayendra as the State Chief. As the Lok Sabha polls loom, the BJP, being cautious about potential risks, is likely considering a strategic plan for Chouhan as well.

In the recent past, Anandiben Patel, the ex-chief Minister of Gujarat, transitioned to the position of Governor. In Assam, despite Sarbananda Sonowal's government securing re-election, he wasn't reinstated as Chief Minister; however, he found a place in the Union Cabinet as a Minister.

In case of Chouhan, there might be bigger plans ahead. The first option is to accommodate him in PM Modi's cabinet. One possibility is incorporating him into PM Modi's cabinet. He might assume the role of Agriculture Minister, taking charge of the portfolios previously managed by Narendra Singh Tomar, who has now been appointed as the new Speaker of Madhya Pradesh.

With the BJP having 75 as the voluntary retirement age in politics, Chouhan, with so much experience, might get a bigger role in future. Let's not forget, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Rajnath Singh are 73 and 72, respectively, while Chouhan is still 64.

The other option is making Chouhan the next BJP President. JP Nadda's tenure expires in June 2024. Nonetheless, the high command's immediate focus is the next Lok Sabha polls and Chouhan will have to ensure that the saffron party will win big numbers in his state like in 2014 and 2019.