Renuka Singh, Vasundhara Raje, Shivraj Singh Chouhan set to become BJP CMs

New Delhi: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and Tribal Affairs Minister Arjun Munda will reach Jaipur, Bhopal and Raipur on Saturday as central observers for electing the leader of BJP’s legislative party in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh respectively.

The new legislative party leaders will become chief ministers of the three states.

Amid the intense buzz within the BJP that the leadership will bring in a new leader, ignoring the claims of two-time former chief minister Vasundhara Raje, NewsDrum experts believe that Raje is very much in the race to be the next CM of Rajasthan.

Also read: Rajasthan CM race: Vasundhara Raje to trump all other names

However, Rajnath’s appointment indicates that a deputy CM or two could be named.

Baba Balaknath, who was almost appointed chief minister by the media, clarified on Saturday morning that he is not in the race.

पार्टी व प्रधानमंत्री @narendramodi जी के नेतृत्व में जनता-जनार्धन ने पहली बार सांसद व विधायक बना कर राष्ट्रसेवा का अवसर दिया।चुनाव परिणाम आने के बाद से मीडिया व सोशल मीडिया पर चल रही चर्चाओं को नज़र अंदाज़ करें।मुझे अभी प्रधानमंत्री जी के मार्गदर्शन में अनुभव प्राप्त करना है।

— Yogi Balaknath (@MahantBalaknath) December 9, 2023

Khattar will be joined by the party's OBC 'Morcha' head K Laxman and its secretary Asha Lakra for the Madhya Pradesh meeting.

In Madhya Pradesh where the BJP scored its biggest victory among the three states with a two-thirds majority, current Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan's stake has gone up with the win but there is a view that the party leadership is looking at a leadership change after 18 years uninterrupted stint in power except for 15 months after the 2018 assembly polls.

Also read: Why Modi chose Rajnath, Khattar and Munda for Rajasthan, MP and Chhattisgarh

According to senior journalist Shekhar Iyer, Prime Minister Narendra Modi sending Khattar to MP means Modi, and not Amit Shah, will call the shots and handle the state in a manner that does not leave Shivraj slighted.

Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and BJP's general secretary Dushwant Kumar Gautam will be central observers for Chhattisgarh along with Munda.

A tribal leader being sent as central observer ensures that Chhattisgarh will see a new chief minister. And Renuka Singh, a tribal leader, will be named the next chief minister of Chhattisgarh.

Update: BJP picks Vishnu Deo as next chief minister of Chhattisgarh