Khajuraho MP VD Sharma is new Madhya Pradesh BJP chief

BHOPAL: Cutting across the rank and file, BJP high command on Saturday sprung a surprise naming a dark horse V D Sharma, a first-time MP from Khajuraho seat, as Madhya Pradesh BJP president.
Elevation of Sharma surprised all and sundry as the party high command overlooked senior names like Shivraj Singh Chouhan, incumbent MP BJP chief Rakesh Singh and the national general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya.
The 49-year-old Sharma, a close confidante of RSS, would take over MP BJP reins from the incumbent Rakesh Singh in whose tenure BJP lost MP assembly polls in 2018 after being in power for fifteen years, while on the flipside won 28 out of 29 seats Lok Sabha seats in MP in 2019.
With appointment of Sharma, popularly known as VD in MP political circles, BJP leadership gave another key post to a Brahmin leader in MP after Gopal Bhargava- the leader of Opposition in the state assembly.
After taking over the party reins, the first challenge that Sharma would come across is civic polls scheduled in few months.
Interestingly, the young Sharma is all set to take on his 73-year-old counterpart in Congress, the Chief Minister and party state president, Kamal Nath. Sharma is credited for his organizational skills and pad-yatras while Nath has vast experience and managerial skills in Indian politics. It was under Nath’s leadership, the Congress party came to power after 15 years of BJP rule in Madhya Pradesh.
Greetings poured in for Sharma. State BJP leaders including Shivraj Singh Chouhan congratulated Sharma. In fact, Shivraj Singh Chouhan wanted him or any of his trusted lieutenants like Bhupendra Singh or Rajendra Shukla to get the post of state BJP chief. Senior BJP leader Narottam Mishra was also in the fray.
However, claims from BJP heavyweights for the post of state BJP chief were laid to rest after RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat’s weeklong visit in state earlier this month after which VD Sharma’s name was believed to be put above all tall leaders of MP.
Sharma thanked PM Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and state BJP president, JP Nadda for giving responsibility of MP BJP chief to a normal party worker like him.
Sharma’s strong point is he is a young leader and enjoys backing of RSS. However, the worrying point for Sharma is that he does not have any faction or base among BJP leaders in state. With RSS backing, Sharma wrested Khajuraho Lok Sabha seat in general elections last year with whopping margin of five lakh votes despite facing his local party leaders’ objection to his candidature to the extent that his effigy was burnt.
Sharma, MSC in agriculture, hails from Morena district of MP. He studied in Gwalior, Bhopal and Jabalpur. He started with ABVP and has been active in politics for almost 32 years. He organized padyatra against corruption from Balaghat. He studied on pollution in Narmada and filed a case with NGT. Sharma is identified as a grassroots Brahmin leader of MP.
Outgoing state BJP chief Rakesh Singh, a trusted lieutenant of Union Home Minister and former BJP chief Amit Shah, was also trying for another term and had last month organised a grand Pro-Citizenship (Amendment) Act rally in his Lok Sabha constituency Jabalpur, which was attended by Amit Shah.
Singh was appointed as BJP state president in April 2018. Reasons believed for his removal were BJP was unable to corner Congress government in MP. BJP failed to create wave in favor of CAA and NRC in state and hundreds of BJP minority workers leaving the party. Singh was unable to keep the flock intact and all BJP leaders in state after losing assembly polls started operating separately.
BJP suffered major jolt in monsoon assembly session in July last year after two of the BJP MLAs voted in favor of Congress in support of CrPC (MP amendment) bill, 2019 tabled in MP state assembly.
Singh was confident that his tenure may continue, at least, till civic polls in October. His tenure lasted for close to two years. Party sources said he would be accommodated in the Centre.
In the 230-member MP Assembly, Congress has 114 seats, while the BJP has 107. Kamal Nath government in the state is supported by four Independents, two BSP MLAs and one Samajwadi Party legislator.