Amidst the ongoing huddle, the BJP is likely to name Central observers for electing the leaders of its legislature parties in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan on Friday amid indications that new Chief Ministers may be named over the weekend.
The ruling party at the Centre, which secured an immense mandate in the Hindi heartland States, came under severe criticism from Opposition parties led by the Congress. They questioned the delay in naming the Chief Ministers, even as the grand old party was swift in appointing the Chief Minister in its winning State of Telangana on the same day.
A senior BJP leader said the observers for all the three States are expected to be named on Friday. They will then travel to the respective States to oversee the meetings of newly elected MLAs where the future Chief Ministers will be named.
He said no decision has been taken yet on the choices of the Chief Minister and the party will keep in mind social, regional, governance and organisational interests in picking the three CMs.
Leaders from three States have been meeting the top party brass, including Home Minister Amit Shah and party president JP Nadda, but sources played down their significance, saying such meetings are routine.
“So many State leaders have been meeting our national leadership. There can be only three Chief Ministers. One should not be reading too much into it,” party source said, noting that many of the probables include MPs who have resigned from Parliament and are meeting national leaders as courtesy.
As per agency reports, amid the suspense over whom the BJP will pick for the Chief Minister’s post in Rajasthan, a visit by five BJP MLAs to a resort on the outskirts of Jaipur city created a buzz. The father of MLA Lalit Meena claimed the newly elected legislator from Kishanganj had been confined there by the other four. After his father informed the party office, Meena was brought there on Wednesday morning. It was not immediately clear whether the other four stayed back at the resort on Sikar Road.
BJP’s Rajasthan unit president CP Joshi said, “There is no ‘badabandi’. The MLAs are in their constituencies,” he said, adding that any decision on who will the Chief Minister will be taken after the legislature party meeting.”
Union Minister Narendra Singh Tomar, a seasoned BJP leader from Madhya Pradesh, and Baba Balaknath, who is from Rajasthan, met Shah on Thursday. Both quit Lok Sabha after becoming members of Assemblies of their States.
Former Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje, whose meeting with many newly-elected MLAs have raised a few eyebrows, is also in the national Capital. She may also meet senior party leaders, sources said.
Tomar and Union Minister Prahlad Singh Patel, who comes from politically significant Other Backward Classes, are seen as possible chief ministerial choices in Madhya Pradesh along with the incumbent Shivraj Singh Chouhan. Patel and Tomar are among 12 BJP MPs who have been elected to three State Assemblies and have quit their parliamentary memberships.
Chhattisgarh BJP president Arun Sao, an OBC, Union Minister Gomati Sai and Lata Usendi, both of whom come from Scheduled Tribes, are seen as serious contenders for the top seat in the State due to their social background, image and relatively young profile.
Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT), RJD all members of INDIA Bloc took a swipe at the BJP over it not announcing the Chief Ministers in the three States it won in the recent Assembly polls and asked why the party was not being called out for “what is actually a delay”.
Congress chief spokesman Jairam Ramesh said less than 24 hours after the election results were out on December 3, his party was being criticised in the media by all and sundry for a “so-called delay” in appointing a Chief Minister for Telangana. “Well, our CM was announced a day before and took oath today,” he said referring to A Revanth Reddy being named as the chief minister of Telangana.
But three days have gone by and the BJP has been unable to even announce its Chief Ministers for Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, he said. “Why is the BJP not being called out for what is actually a delay?” Ramesh said.
While Shiv Sena leader and Rajya Sabha member Priyanka Chaturvedi too questioned the delay and particularly the media which used to run campaign against Opposition parties when there were delays in naming a CM for the winning sides, RJD leader and also a Rajya Sabha member Manoj Jha quipped let the largest political party with mega arrogance cheer the beauty of democracy in their way. “Why to celebrate the huge mandate when it takes time to decided who will lead the show now,” Jha said.
