BJP likely to appoint central observers in 3 states to pick chief ministers

The appointed central observers will visit their respective states to hold meetings with the elected Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs)

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is likely to announce central observers on Friday to oversee the selection of chief ministers for Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh.

The central observers will visit their respective states to hold meetings with the elected Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs).

After the BJP's electoral victory in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Rajasthan, prominent leaders from these states have been holding meetings with top BJP officials, including Union Home Minister Amit Shah and party president J P Nadda. However, the party has not yet announced the names of the candidates for the chief ministerial posts in the three states. In all three states, the BJP fought the Assembly elections without naming any chief ministerial candidate.

On Thursday, former Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhara Raje reached the national capital for a meeting with J P Nadda. Vasundhara Raje, a two-time chief minister; Diya Kumari, who has been elected MLA from Vidyadhar Nagar; Mahat Balak Nath, who won from the Tijara constituency; and Rajyavarardhan Singh Rathore, who won from the Jhotwara constituency, are believed to be among the top contenders for the post in Rajasthan.

Minister of State for Tribal Affairs Renuka Singh Saruta also met Nadda on Thursday. Similarly, Amit Shah met Union Minister Narendra Singh Tomar, a senior leader from Madhya Pradesh, and Mahant Balak Nath from Rajasthan.

In the recent Assembly elections in 2023, the BJP swept three states: Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan. The chief ministers of Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh have handed over their resignation letters to their respective governors.

In Madhya Pradesh, the BJP bagged 163 seats, while the Congress finished a distant second with 66 seats. In Rajasthan, the BJP is poised to form the government, winning 115 seats, and the Congress trailing at 69 seats. Of the 90 Assembly constituencies in Chhattisgarh, the BJP bagged 54, while the Congress won 35.