Ujjain South MLA Mohan Yadav Takes Helm as Madhya Pradesh's New Chief Minister

Bhopal: The BJP on Monday sprang a surprise by appointing three-time BJP MLA and OBC leader Mohan Yadav as the next chief minister of Madhya Pradesh. Yadav was unanimously elected as the leader of the BJP legislature party, which met here in the evening, bringing to an end the 18-year tenure of Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

Dr Yadav was chosen over strong contenders such as outgoing chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, former Union ministers Narendra Singh Tomar and Pralhad Patel, BJP national general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya and state party president Vishnu Dutt Sharma. Tomar is set to be Speaker.

Sources said that the party has decided to appoint two Deputy Chief Ministers, Rajendra Shukla, a Brahmin, and Jadish Devda, a Dalit, to maintain the caste balance.

The Chief Minister-designate was taken aback when Chouhan proposed his name as the leader of the BJP legislature party.

“It took Dr Yadav a few minutes to regain his composure when he stood up and thanked everyone with folded hands,” a party MLA told this newspaper.

“I am a small party worker. I have been given a huge responsibility. This can only happen in the BJP. I am thankful to the party workers, state and central party leaderships for reposing faith in me. I will do my best to take forward the development of the state,” Dr Yadav said.

Dr Yadav, a PhD. holder, was the higher education minister in the previous Shivraj Singh Chouhan government.

The Chief Minister-designate later proceeded to the Raj Bhavan along with senior BJP leaders to stake claim to form government.

Earlier, amid heightening suspense over the new CM, three observers — Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, BJP’s national OBC wing president Dr K. Laxman and senior BJP leader Asha Lakda — appointed by the BJP to oversee the election of the leader of the BJP legislature party, arrived here in the morning.

There were parleys among the three observers and some senior BJP leaders before the commencement of the BJP legislature party meeting.