Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Shivraj Singh Chouhan (65), five-time MP from Vidisha and longest-serving Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, took oath as the Cabinet Minister in Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led NDA Government on Sunday alongside Jyotiraditya Scindia, Virendra Khatik, Savitri Thakur, Durgadas Uike who took oath at Rashtrapathi Bhavan on Sunday. As ‘The Hitavada’ had reported earlier ‘The State will have major chunk’ Jyotiraditya Scindia, who was Union Minister of Civil Aviation and Steel in the previous Modi Government, returned to the Cabinet. Ahead of swearing-in ceremony, Modi interacted with the MPs set to take oath as ministers. Having been Madhya Pradesh CM from 2005 to December 2023, Chouhan had led the BJP to another resounding victory in November 2023 Assembly elections. However, the BJP leadership then replaced him as CM with Ujjain MLA Dr Mohan Yadav.Since that time there were specultions about Shivraj Singh Chouhan going to Centre. Notably, Prime Minister Modi in an election public meeting signalled that Chouhan would be taken to Delhi.

 

BJP’s clean sweep in Lok Sabha elections in the State is being attributed to Chouhan’s key role in the elections. He is known as a seasoned leader who had said ‘We will present a garland of 29 flowers (seats) to Modiji’. Chouhan is also seen as a troubleshooter for the party and expert to accomodate with leaders of different backgrounds. He defeated Congress candidate and ex-MP Pratap Bhanu Sharma in Lok Sabha elections, former CM won by a huge margin of 8,21,408 votes. Chouhan’s tenure as CM was particularly known for various welfare schemes for women, such as Ladli Behna Yojana, a Rs 1,250-monthly stipend for women from poor households. After being CM continuously from 2005 to 2018, he returned to power in March 2020 after then senior Congress leader Jyotiraditya Scindia’s mutiny toppled the Kamal Nath Government, which had come to power after the Congress defeated the BJP in 2018 polls.

 

After his switch to the BJP, Scindia got reward and was given the charge of Union minister again. He had entered politics in 2002 and won Guna Lok Sabha, which fell vacant after the death of his father and Congress stalwart Madhavrao Scindia. He represented Guna from 2002 to 2019, when he lost the seat to his former loyalist K P Yadav by a margin of 1,25,549 votes. This set off a series of events which resulted in the royal scion eventually leaving the Congress and defecting to the BJP with 22 MLAs. Scindia’s crucial responsibility and role in the BJP’s plans were clear from the onset of campaigning in the State during last year’s Assembly elections, which was the first test under the BJP for ‘Maharaja of Gwalior’ on his home turf, Gwalior-Chambal region, comprising 34 seats. He delivered 18 to the BJP, up from seven in 2018. Senior leader Narendra Singh Tomar who also hails from this region, was selected as Speaker of Assembly. It has consolidated Scindia’s position in the party.

 

Dalit leader from Tikamgarh, Virendra Kumar Khatik served as the Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment. He was also Chairperson of the Standing Committee on Labour and a Member of the General Purpose Committee. He was chosen as the Pro-tem speaker of the 17th Lok Sabha in June 2019. Another tribal leader and BJP woman MP, Savitri Thakur, represents Dhar Constituency. She has started her inning in politics from Panchayat level. She won the election of District Panchayat member in 2003. In 2004, she was elected District Panchayat President Dhar. Since 2010, she has worked in BJP Dhar as District Vice President. In 2013, she was elected to the post of Director of Krishi Upaj Mandi Samiti, Dhamnod. Name of Durga Das Uikey surprised many. Durga Das Uikey had also won Betul seat in Lok Sabha elections 2019 against Congress candidate Ramu Tekam. The margin of victory then was 3,60,000. His political graph is by none less than snake and ladder game, as tally of this Betul Member of Parliament showed that at initial trends Congress candidate was ahead of Uike. But at last he not only won the election but became the Cabinet Minister.