Madhya Pradesh CM announcement: Mohan Yadav is new MP CM, will have 2 deputies; Narendra Singh Tomar named speaker

NEW DELHI: Ujjain South MLA Mohan Yadav will be the new chief minister of Madhya Pradesh, the BJP announced on Monday, denying a record fifth term to veteran leader Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

It was also decided that the state will have two deputy CMs: Jagdish Deora and Rajendra Shukla. Meanwhile, former Union minister Narendra Singh Tomar will be the speaker of the 16th Madhya Pradesh Legislative Assembly.


"I am a small worker of the party. I thank all of you, the state leadership and the central leadership. With your love and support, I will try to fulfil my responsibilities," said Yadav, who is a three-time MLA and was a cabinet minister in the Chouhan government.

After the announcement, Yadav met Governor Mangubhai C. Patel at Raj Bhavan in Bhopal and staked claim to form the government

OBC streak continues
Since 2003, all three CMs of the BJP in MP, namely Babulal Gaur, Uma Bharti, and Chouhan, have been from the Other Backward Classes (OBC).

CM-designate Mohan Yadav, 58, is also an OBC leader. The population of OBCs in MP is around 48%.

Monday's decision -- ending over a week's suspense on who would lead the party's new government -- was taken during the legislature party meeting in Bhopal that was attended by the 163 newly elected BJP MLAs as well as the party's three central observers.

Madhya Pradesh went to poll for 230 assembly seats in a single phase on November 17 and the counting of votes was done on December 3.

The BJP, which had been battling close to 20 years of incumbency in the state, won a resounding mandate, bagging 163 seats, while the Congress finished a distant second at 66 seats.


New CM face was expected
Many political analysts had expected a change in CM face after the BJP announced that three central observers -- Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar, OBC Morcha head K Laxman and party's state national secretary Asha Lakra -- would take part in the legislature party meeting to decide the name.


Notably, the party made central observers last time in the state in 2005 when former CM Babu Lal Gaur left the top post. After that, CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan took the oath for the first time as CM in November 2005.


Earlier, the central observers were appointed in 2004 when former CM Uma Bharti left the top post, after which Gaur was appointed as CM.

Since then, no central observers were appointed in the state. During the state assembly polls in 2008 and 2013, the BJP remained in power and Chouhan continued to be the CM of the state.


Chouhan had dropped hint
Rumours that Chouhan may not return as CM grew after the BJP leader himself made a post on X, which was widely seen as a 'farewell' message.


From his official X handle, Chouhan had posted a picture of him and captioned it with “sabhi ko Ram Ram (Ram Ram to all)".
(With inputs from agencies)

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Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan offers prayers at Karunadham Aashram in Bhopal