Putting an end to the speculation, the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday appointed Vishnu Datt Sharma, as State president of the party unit in Madhya Pradesh.

As it was expected that outgoing president Rakesh Singh might be given a second term for party's victory in Lok Sabha elections in his leadership, the party high command did not show confidence in him. In Lok Sabha polls, the BJP had swept 28 out of 29 seats in May last year.

Factually, losing State Assembly elections in his leadership, cost Rakesh Singh dearly.

Meanwhile, Sharma, the Khajuraho MP, besides serving in various capacity in Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) nationally, was appointed General Secretary of BJP in Madhya Pradesh in the past.

Party sources said that his closeness to 'Nagpur' rewarded him with selection on this important post.

Sharma was also National vice president of Nehru Yuva Kendra had started his political journey from Gwalior as a student union leader.

Dubbed as an RSS man, Sharma despite belonging to Gwalior was fielded from Khajuraho parliamentary seat in Bundelkhand in 2019 and won the poll by close to five lakh votes.

The outgoing State president Rakesh Singh hailed the appointment saying that it was a natural process of change and claimed that Sharma's appointment would energize the party State unit.

Besides Singh, leaders like Bhupendra Singh, a close aide of Shivraj Singh Chauhan, former Minister Narottam Mishra, Faggan Singh  Kulaste and others where in the race for the key post.

Political observers feel that the first time MP VD Sharma might find it difficult to maintain balance in the party amid presence of several heavyweights.