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Will MLA Khandelwal Emerge as Dark Horse in Madhya Pradesh BJP Prez Chief Race?

With election to the post tipped to be held by the end of the current week, Mr Khandelwal’s name has suddenly propped up as the front runner among the prospective candidates for the party position.

Bhopal: Speculations are rife in the ruling BJP circles here that two- time MLA Hemant Khandelwal, considered a ‘light weight party leader’, may emerge as the dark horse in the race for the post of president of Madhya Pradesh unit of the party.

With election to the post tipped to be held by the end of the current week, Mr Khandelwal’s name has suddenly propped up as the front runner among the prospective candidates for the party position.

“Mr Khandelwal is considered close to a senior Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) leader and he may be the choice of the sangh for the post since he is not only a non-controversial politician but may also be acceptable to all the veterans in the party in the state including chief minister Mohan Yadav”, a senior BJP functionary told this newspaper on Tuesday, unwilling to be quoted.

He hails from general category and will replace Vishu Dutt Sharma, the incumbent president of state party, a Brahmin, if he is appointed to the post.

Mr Khandelwal was also a former MP.

Other prospective candidates for the post are deputy chief minister Rajendra Shukla, Union minister Virendra Khatik, former minister Narottam Mishra, MLA Rameshwar Sharma and former minister Arovind Bhadoria.

The incumbent state party president Mr Sharma who has completed two terms in the post, is also in the race for the post, sources said.

Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan has been appointed the Central observer of the party to oversee elections to the post.

He is likely to visit the state soon to set in the process the polls.

Meanwhile, all the 62 district unit chiefs of the party have been announced.

Of them, 30 percent hailed from upper castes, including 16 Brahmins, six Rajputs, and eight Vaishyas.

Twenty five percent of them belonged to OBC.

Three district unit presidents are from scheduled caste and four district unit chiefs are from scheduled tribes.

Seven of the 62 district unit presidents of the party are women.

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