Target 2024 Lok Sabha elections; BJP gearing up for unexpected change in Hindi heartland

NEW DELHI: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which registered massive victories in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, is planning to introduce big changes in these states. Quoting party sources, the national media outlets are reporting that new faces will be appointed as Chief Ministers in these states. According to reports the party is considering fresh faces for the Chief Minister posts as it eyes victory in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

Ever since the election results were announced on Sunday, the BJP central leadership has been holding discussions to decide the Chief Ministers of the three states. The names of top leaders of the three states were considered in a meeting held at Prime Minister Narendra Modi's residence yesterday. Prime Minister, Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP president JP Nadda attended the meeting. After this, Amit Shah and Nadda held discussions with the BJP presidents of the three states. Sources said that both Nadda and Shah have sought information regarding the leaders considered for the CM posts from the state chiefs.

The party will soon appoint observers in three states. These observers will supervise the meetings to select the Chief Minister from the newly elected MLAs. In Madhya Pradesh, the current Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan is one of the leaders being considered for the post of Chief Minister. Other leaders being considered for the post of chief minister are Union ministers Prahlad Patel, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Narendra Singh Tomar and senior leader Kailash Vijayvargiya.

Former Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje Scindia, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Union Ministers Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Arjun Ram Meghwal, BJP state president CP Joshi, Mahant Balaknath and Diya Kumari are among the front runners to become the CM in Rajasthan.

In Chhattisgarh, the names of former Chief Minister Raman Singh, BJP state president Arun Kumar Sao, Dharamlal Kaushik and former IPS officer OP Choudhary are being considered for the post of Chief Minister.