The political signals emerging from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit to Bhopal have sparked considerable discussion within Madhya Pradesh’s BJP circles.
While the official focus remained on infrastructure inaugurations and a major women’s empowerment event commemorating the 300th birth anniversary of Lokmata Devi Ahilyabai Holkar, the deeper political messaging was shaped as much by who was present as by who was missing.
The presence of three senior BJP MLAs — Gopal Bhargava, Bhupendra Singh, and Faggan Singh Kulaste — at the Bhopal airport to receive the Prime Minister drew immediate attention. Though all three are experienced leaders and have held significant responsibilities in the past, they currently hold no major positions in the Government or the party organisation.
Their sudden appearance at such a high-profile moment has been interpreted as a deliberate political gesture. In BJP circles, being called to welcome the Prime Minister is not a casual formality—especially for leaders outside the immediate power structure.
It is widely believed that such invitations are extended only with the approval of the Prime Minister’s Office, lending weight to speculation that these leaders may soon be given important roles either in governance or within the party hierarchy.
What makes this development more intriguing is the urgency and manner in which these leaders were summoned. Gopal Bhargava had only just returned to his constituency after presiding over a statue installation ceremony in Rehli, but was called back to Bhopal late at night.
Bhupendra Singh and Faggan Singh Kulaste, too, received specific invitations to be present at the airport — an unusual move that party insiders view as politically significant. Their supporters have already begun interpreting this as a precursor to a reshuffle or reallocation of responsibilities.
In sharp contrast, the absence of some of the BJP’s most prominent and symbolic figures from the Prime Minister’s public events has stirred equal, if not greater, curiosity.
The grand Women Empowerment Convention in Bhopal, which formed the centerpiece of Modi’s visit and celebrated the legacy of Devi Ahilyabai Holkar, saw enthusiastic participation from women across the state.
The Prime Minister inaugurated airports in Datia and Satna and launched the Indore Metro, with women featured prominently in the inaugural journeys. Yet, two of the BJP’s most high-profile women leaders — former Chief Minister Uma Bharti and former Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan — were nowhere to be seen. Their absence from such a significant event dedicated to women’s empowerment has raised eyebrows. Mahajan, affectionately known as ‘Tai,’ was also not present at the Indore Metro launch in her own city.
Although the BJP may have moved these leaders into a phase of informal retirement, many within and outside the party believe that their presence would have carried symbolic and ideological weight, particularly at a time when the party was celebrating women leadership and contribution.
Also missing from the Prime Minister’s engagements was Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who served as Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh for nearly 17 years and remains one of the most recognisable political faces in the state.
His complete absence from Modi’s programs has become a subject of intense political speculation, with observers questioning whether this indicates a shift in his role or influence within the current party structure.