In Madhya Pradesh, the BJP sprung a surprise by electing Ujjain Dakshin MLA Mohan Yadav as the successor of Shivraj Singh Chouhan. Yadav was higher education minister in the Shivraj Singh cabinet. Yadav's name was nowhere in the race of the CM probables and emerged as a dark horse in the state where the BJP secured a massive mandate in the recently held assembly elections. Yadav comes from the OBC class. Madhya Pradesh has 48 per cent OBC voters. By selecting an OBC Chief Minister, the BJP is trying to woo the OBC voters ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Mohan Yadav has been associated with the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). 


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Outgoing CM Shivraj Sing Chouhan proposed the name of Mohan Yadav during the BJP legislative party meeting held in Bhopal this evening. The MLAs picked their Chief Minister eight days after the results of the assembly polls were announced. Mohan Yadav is likely to have two Deputy Chief Ministers. However, the names of the Deputy CMs have not been announced yet. But if reports are to be believed, Jagdisgh Devda and Rajesh Shukla will be made Deputy CMs. According to reports, former Union Minister and now an MLA from Dimni, Narendra Tomar is likely to be made speaker of the Madhya Pradesh Assembly. 


The meeting of the BJP legislative party was held in the presence of the three central observers - Manohar Lal Khattar, Dr K Laxman and Asha Lakra. Ahead of the BJP legislative party meeting, a photo session of newly elected MLAs along with the central observers was held.  


Reacting to him being elected the leader of the legislative party, Mohan Yadav said, "I am a small worker of the party. I thank all of you, the state leadership and the central leadership. With your love and support, I will try to fulfil my responsibilities."


Soon after the legislative party meeting, Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Manohar Lal Khattar along with other leaders went to Raj Bhawan to meet Governor Mangubhai C. Patel. Shivraj Singh Chouhan tendered his resignation to the governor. Yadav also accompanied Shivraj to the Raj Bhawan and staked claim to form the government. The date of oath taking ceremony is likely to be announced shortly. 


The decision to elevate an OBC leader comes amid the BJP's strategy to set its caste equations right ahead of the crucial Lok Sabha elections where Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be seeking a third straight term. 


Before today's announcement, some key leaders who were said to be among the CM contenders included former Union Ministers Narendra Singh Tomar and Prahlad Patel, Shivraj Singh Chauhan, BJP state chief VD Sharma and Kailash Vijayvargiya. Tomar resigned as an MP after winning the assembly polls from the Dimani seat. Prahlad Patel, who also resigned as an MP, won from the Narsingpur seat while Vijayvargiya won from the Indore-1 seat. 


Madhya Pradesh went to poll for 230 assembly seats in a single phase on November 17 and the counting of votes was done on December 3. The BJP, which had been battling close to 20 years of incumbency in the state, won a resounding mandate, bagging 163 seats, while the Congress finished a distant second at 66 seats.