Shah's choices of BJP presidents in Rajasthan, MP, Chhattisgarh a mixed bag

Rakesh Singh's appointment surprised many BJP leaders in Madhya Pradesh

The choice of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP’s) presidents to lead the organisation in poll-bound Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh does not necessarily reflect the advent of a hegemonic “high command”, contrary to an emerging perception. If anything, the recent appointments of Madan Lal Saini and Rakesh Singh to helm the BJP’s Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh units, respectively, and the continuance of Dharamlal Kaushik in Chhattisgarh show that the dynamics leading to their selection were as complex as they were in the years when the party was less powerful. 

In Rajasthan, Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje had her way with the