The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) emerged as the single largest party in the Madhya Pradesh assembly elections, winning 163 seats out of 230. The Congress, which was in power for the last five years, was reduced to 97 seats, while the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and the Samajwadi Party (SP) won 10 and 4 seats respectively. The BJP also secured a majority in the urban local bodies elections, which were held simultaneously with the assembly polls.

However, the suspense over who will become the next chief minister of Madhya Pradesh is likely to end on Monday, December 11, 2023, when the BJP’s newly-elected legislators meet and select their leader in the presence of central observers. The BJP did not project any leader as its chief ministerial candidate before the elections, and there are several contenders for the top post.

The most prominent among them is Shivraj Singh Chouhan, the incumbent chief minister, who has been at the helm of the state since 2005. Chouhan, who is popularly known as ‘Mama’ (maternal uncle) among the people of Madhya Pradesh, is credited with bringing several welfare schemes and development projects for the farmers, women, youth, and the poor sections of the society. He is also known for his devotion to Lord Ram and his promotion of the Ramayana culture in the state.

Chouhan, who shared a post on his Twitter account on December 10, 2023, saying ‘Ram-Ram’ to all his followers and well-wishers, has denied being a contender for the chief minister post and has said his immediate focus was to ensure that the BJP won all the 29 Lok Sabha seats in the national elections. He also expressed his gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP president J.P. Nadda, and other senior leaders of the party for their guidance and blessings.

Another possible candidate is Jyotiraditya Scindia, the former Congress leader who joined the BJP in March 2020, along with 22 rebel MLAs, leading to the fall of the Kamal Nath government. Scindia, who belongs to the erstwhile royal family of Gwalior, is seen as a young and dynamic leader who can attract the urban and educated voters. He is also close to Prime Minister Modi and Home Minister Shah, and has a strong support base in the Gwalior-Chambal region.

Scindia, who won the Rajya Sabha election from Madhya Pradesh in June 2020, is currently the Union Civil Aviation Minister. He played a key role in the BJP’s campaign in the state, especially in the bypolls that were held for the 28 seats vacated by his loyalists. He also addressed several rallies and roadshows across the state, and attacked the Congress for neglecting the development and welfare of the people.

A third contender is Narendra Singh Tomar, the Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister, who is also a senior BJP leader from Madhya Pradesh. Tomar, who hails from Morena district, has a long political career, having served as the state BJP president, the state cabinet minister, and the Lok Sabha MP from Gwalior and Morena. He is also a close aide of Prime Minister Modi and Home Minister Shah, and has a good rapport with the party workers and the RSS.

Tomar, who is currently in the eye of the storm due to the ongoing farmers’ protest against the three farm laws, has maintained a low profile during the assembly elections. He has said that he is happy with his current responsibility at the Centre, and has left the decision of the chief minister post to the party high command. He has also praised Shivraj Singh Chouhan for his leadership and performance in the state .

The BJP leadership is expected to take a final call on the chief minister post after consulting the newly-elected MLAs and the central observers. The party would want to choose a leader who can balance the interests of various factions and regions, and also lead the party to victory in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The BJP would also want to avoid any dissidence or resentment among the aspirants, and ensure a smooth transition of power in the state.