oppn parties Madhya Pradesh: Another Big Surprise As BJP Picks Mohan Yadav

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  • Supreme Court questions the continuing relevance of two-child norms. The Court observed that falling fertility rates have weakened the population-control rationale behind laws disqualifying people with more than two children from contesting local body elections. It referred the issue to a larger Bench for consideration
  • Supreme Court declines to shift Tirupati laddu case outside Andhra Pradesh. The Court rejected a plea seeking transfer of the trial, despite arguments that political statements by Andhra Pradesh's Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister could affect the fairness of proceedings
  • Supreme Court transfers Azam Khan's fresh ED bail plea to Allahabad High Court. The apex court declined to consider the Samajwadi Party leader's bail request in a fresh Enforcement Directorate case and directed that it be listed before a division Bench of the High Court on November 16
  • Two killed in Delhi building collapse; contractor booked. Two bodies were recovered after a building collapsed in Chawri Bazaar. Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said the contractor had been booked and the concerned junior and assistant engineers suspended
  • Uttar Pradesh voter rolls show a 2.4-crore discrepancy. A difference of approximately 2.4 crore names has been reported between the state's panchayat and rural Assembly voter lists. The Election Commission has ordered the two sets of rolls to be matched
  • Gujarat announces 3% dearness allowance hike. The state government announced a three-percentage-point increase in dearness allowance for government employees and pensioners ahead of Diwali
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  • Maaya Rajeshwaran reaches WTA-level quarter-final. The 17-year-old Indian defeated Poland's Weronika Falkowska 6-4, 6-3, becoming the first Indian woman since Sania Mirza in 2012 to reach a quarter-final at a WTA Tour-level singles event
  • Tanvi Patri reaches Youth Olympics badminton final. The 15-year-old defeated Japan's Yuzuno Watanabe in the semi-final, assuring India of a medal and becoming the first Indian badminton player to reach the girls' singles final at the Youth Olympics
  • India beat Pakistan 3-2 in SAFF Championship. India defeated Pakistan in a closely contested match, having led 3-0 before conceding two late goals. The victory was reported as a significant result for India's second-string side
  • India beat Japan 4-1 to win a record sixth Asian Champions Trophy. India recovered from an early deficit to defeat Japan in the final at Mohali, extending its record as the tournament's most successful men's team
  • The Supreme Court issued notice to the Centre and the Election Commission on a petition challenging Section 16 of the Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners Act, 2023, which grants the CEC and Election Commissioners protection from legal proceedings for acts performed in their official duties. The petition argues that such blanket immunity could leave citizens without an effective remedy for alleged wrongdoing by the Commission
  • The Supreme Court told voters whose names were deleted from Delhi's draft electoral rolls not to be apprehensive about seeking re-enrolment through Form 6, after the Election Commission assured it that such applicants would not be prosecuted merely because their names had appeared in earlier rolls
  • Congress leader Rahul Gandhi opened the party's campaign for the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections with an Insaaf rally in Sangrur, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann's home district, accusing the AAP government of failing to control drugs, gangster violence and corruption. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge outlined six commitments, including a drug-free Punjab, protection of farmers, employment for young people and action against corruption
  • Rahul Gandhi accused the AAP government of running Punjab through a remote control from Delhi and questioned Bhagwant Mann's ability to tackle drug abuse, making personal allegations about the Chief Minister's conduct during their time together in Parliament
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Madhya Pradesh: Another Big Surprise As BJP Picks Mohan Yadav

By Sunil Garodia
First publised on 2023-12-11 16:29:20

About the Author

Sunil Garodia Editor-in-Chief of indiacommentary.com. Current Affairs analyst and political commentator. Author of Cyber Scams in India, Digital Arrest, The Money Trap and The Human Hack

MP Victory Was Most Decisive

Of the three states in which the BJP won in the recent elections, the victory in Madhya Pradesh was the most decisive. The party increased both its vote share and seats. The victory sweeter as the party was fighting anti-incumbency and the Congress had launched a spirited campaign under the wily Kamal Nath. But propelled by some excellent welfare schemes piloted by the redoubtable Shivraj Singh Chouhan, notably the Ladli Behna scheme, the BJP romped home in a spectacular fashion. Hence, it was a given that Chouhan will once again be the chief minister.

Mohan Yadav Is The Surprise Pick In MP

But some things changed after the victory. The BJP high command decided that in all the three states, it would go for new line of leadership, younger and more dynamic to prepare for a final thrust in 2024 Lok Sabha elections. It sprang a surprise in Chhattisgarh by naming tribal leader Vishnu Deo Sai as the chief minister. It did a similar thing in MP by naming Mohan Yadav, an OBC leader who represents Ujjain South in the assembly as its chief minister pick. Yadav is 58, 6 years younger to Chouhan. He is close to the RSS but otherwise maintains a low profile. He was higher education minister in the Chouhan administration.

BJP Has A New Template

Like Sai in Chhattisgarh, there was no buzz around Yadav's name, both in political circles or the media. Narendra Singh Tomar was emerging as a strong candidate and it was believed that it was a toss-up between him and Chouhan. But after Chhattisgarh, it seems the BJP is following a new template. Yadav, like Sai, is also likely to get two deputies. It is likely that like Raman Singh in Chhattisgarh, Tomar is likely to be made Speaker of the assembly in MP.

What Will Happen In Rajasthan?

With the BJP high command having decided to have new faces in place, it does not augur well for Vasundhara Raje in Rajasthan. The decision for the state is likely to be taken tomorrow. Going by what has been seen in Chhattisgarh and MP, Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw is unlikely to get the hot seat. The BJP might spring another surprise in the state.