BJP deputes Gehlot to assess reasons behind party's electoral defeat in MP

Gehlot, a senior leader from the state, will hold deliberations with the state leaders of the party in Bhopal and present his report to BJP President Amit Shah, sources said here on Wednesday.

The issue of Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly will also be discussed by Gehlot, the Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment, with the state leaders, the sources said.

The BJP, which ruled the state for 15 years consecutively, lost power in the elections whose results were declared on December 11.

In the 230-member Assembly, the BJP managed to get 109 seats while the Congress won 114 seats.

The Congress, which got support from two-member BSP and one-member Samajwadi Party, formed the government headed by Kamal Nath.

The assessment of causes of defeat in the Assembly elections is crucial for the party as it would have to address the deficiencies before the Lok Sabha polls due by May next year.

After failing to cross the majority mark in the Assembly elections, the BJP had decided against staking claim to form the government in the state.

"As we have not got clear majority, we are not going to stake claim to form the government...," Chouhan tweeted soon after the results came in.

After the defeat, senior BJP leader and Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had said the party would assess the reasons behind the loss.