Besides State BJP organisational secretary Arvind Menon, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has also emerged as a tall leader in the recently held Assembly elections in Maharashtra.
Menon was given charge of 62 seats in Vidarbha region and of them, the BJP won in 42 Assembly segments.
Besides, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) secured poll victories in 12 Assembly constituencies out of total 14 where the Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister had campaigned.
Party sources said that Chouhan had campaigned in Raver, Jamner, Majalaon, Ashti, Akola East, Akola West, Wasim, Malkapur, Amalner, Putamba Kopargaon, Melghat, Daryapur, Morshi and Achalpur Assembly constituencies in phases on the directives of the party’s central leadership.
BJP candidates emerged victorious in all the constituencies except Achalpur and Amalner. Of the constituencies where the BJP came up trumps, the party candidate from Akola East won by the highest margin of more than 41,000 votes.
Besides, Chouhan campaigned in Mulana, Pihowa, Guhla and Kaithal constituencies in Haryana, where party candidates were successful in Mulana and Guhla. The BJP got a clear mandate in Haryana while it emerged as the single largest party in Maharashtra.
Factually, political observers feel that while UAD Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya supporters have erected hoardings in different parts of the State Capital terming him as ‘Hero of Haryana’, hoardings of Shivraj Singh Chouhan cannot be installed as he is the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh.
Party leaders from Shivraj camp believe that the Chief Minister has already proved himself twice — in two Assembly elections in 2008 and 2013 and the lok Sabha polls in 2009 and 2014. Thus, he does not need to publicize himself.
Chouhan’s supporters are of the view that there could not be any comparison between the Chief Minister and any other leaders of the State as Chouhan is already a member of the party’s highest decision making body, the parliamentary board, while others are looking for bigger responsibilities.