The BJP has shelved any near plans to shift Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan to the Centre, which was being mooted by a certain section of leaders both within the RSS and the BJP, as the party feels that he is still the best man the party has to lead the BJP in the state.
Highly placed party functionaries who are part of the deliberation involving Madhya Pradesh in general and Chouhan in particular, said that there was a very remote chance of Chouhan being brought to New Delhi as part of the Cabinet reshuffle, which is likely to take place within a month. This Cabinet reshuffle, according to party sources, is likely to be the biggest one that will be done by Prime Minister Narendra Modi before he faces the general elections slated for May 2019.
Party sources said that Chouhan, who suffered “damages” due to the Vyapam scam, has now emerged “relatively unhurt” and it makes no sense to bring him to Delhi now. “Till last year, there were strong voices from a section both within the RSS and the BJP that he should be shifted to Delhi to save the party’s image in the state which was hit because of the Vyapam scam. This would have also helped him (Chouhan) at the time. But Chouhan himself was reluctant to move here for different reasons. However, now, whatever the negative perception was there about him, is finished. He remains the best man that we have and he will hopefully lead our party campaign in the state in 2018 when the Assembly elections are scheduled,” a senior party leader stated.
The same statement that Chouhan remains the best man to lead the party in the state was also given by another party leader who is known for his bitterness towards Chouhan. “He is the most popular leader we have and that is accepted even by his adversaries. However, it is also true that he has not let anyone else gain stature in the state. Prabhat Jha tried and so did Kailash Vijayvargiya, but were unsuccessful,” the leader said.
According to party sources, Chouhan, like every seasoned politician, has made sure that there is no second generation leader in the state to take up his place in case he is asked to vacate his chair. “Former state president Prabhat Jha was one the strongest candidates, but that is not the case anymore as he is content with his Rajya Sabha nomination and as the in-charge of Punjab. Earlier, relations between the two were very bitter, but now Chouhan makes sure that Jha is given his due respect and attention. Party general secretary and Chouhan’s Cabinet colleague Kailash Vijayvargiya, too, has been tied down by Chouhan and Uma Bharti’s political ground is now Uttar Pradesh. In short, Chouhan has made sure that everyone who had the capability and the ambition to replace him was downsized. The only time when he will vacate his chair is if the people of Madhya Pradesh will vote him out,” a party MLA said.