Nobody knows if he would be given ticket: Congress mocks Shivraj Chouhan

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan's name has not figured in the three candidate lists released by the ruling BJP so far

Taking potshots at Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, the Congress party on Thursday stated that it remains uncertain whether the chief minister will be allotted a ticket for the upcoming state assembly elections.

Chouhan's name has not appeared in the three candidate lists released by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to date.

The ruling party has reshuffled leadership roles in Madhya Pradesh and deployed several heavyweights, some of whom have never contested assembly elections, to bolster its performance in the forthcoming elections due later this year. Three Union ministers, including Narendra Singh Tomar and Faggan Singh Kulaste, as well as four other Members of Parliament, were named as candidates, surprising many within the party.

Kailash Vijayvargiya, the BJP national general secretary and a long-time aspirant for the chief minister's post, was also named in the list. However, there was no mention of Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

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"Neglecting to Mention Shivraj Chouhan"

Mocking Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Congress spokesperson Ragini Nayak questioned the chief minister's credibility, asking how the people of the state could trust him when his own party appeared to lack faith in him.

"The BJP's lists are being released, but Shivraj has no say in the matter, as his arch-rivals are the ones being named. People are anxiously waiting to see whether his name will appear on the lists," Nayak said.

Nayak also claimed that in the run-up to the elections, the BJP's central leaders are conspicuously avoiding mentioning Chouhan's name.

Previously, Union Home Minister Amit Shah indicated that a decision regarding the Madhya Pradesh chief minister's post would only be made after the elections. This appeared to sidestep questions about whether the incumbent, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, would continue in the role.

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"Currently, Shivraj ji is the chief minister as we head into the elections. It's the party's responsibility to make decisions about leadership, and we will do so," Shah stated.

He added, "My appeal to you is to communicate to the people the work accomplished under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, so that development can be set as an agenda for the elections."