Surprise exclusions from Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh cabinets have put a question mark on the political future of several senior BJP leaders in both states.
In what seemed to be an attempt to overhaul the internal power structure in the said states, as many as 17 new faces were inducted recently to the 31-member Mohan Yadav cabinet in Madhya Pradesh. The BJP retained only six of the 33 ministers in the previous Shivraj Singh Chouhan cabinet.
In Chhattisgarh, CM Vishnu Deo Sai, his two deputies Arun Sao and Vijay Sharma and five of the nine ministers that form the BJP government are fresh faces.
In the process, many prominent leaders, who were considered frontrunners even for the chief ministerial posts, have found themselves out of the cabinet. These leaders are now looking ahead to their new roles with many pinning their hopes for candidature in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.
But, Lok Sabha tickets will be limited and many leaders might have to be satisfied with some organizational role in the party or a political posting -- ranging from that of a Governor to chairpersons of union or state-level commissions, corporations or boards.
However, any such posting might not be in keeping with the stature of these leaders who have been in the power axis of the state for a long time.
Among the biggest names who are awaiting future roles in Madhya Pradesh is the former chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan. There are indications that he might be adjusted only in the party organization and even moved out of the state with the responsibility of a southern state.
Other big names in Madhya Pradesh include 10-time MLA Gopal Bhargava, 71. For the short duration that BJP lost power in the past two decades, Bhargava worked as the Leader of the Opposition. The senior leader, who remained a minister for about 20 years, had made open remarks about his chief ministerial aspirations in the run-up to the polls. But he finds himself out of the cabinet probably on the age factor.
Another senior leader Bhupendra Singh, considered very close to Chouhan, has also been excluded probably due to internal strife with erstwhile ministers from Sagar district and corruption allegations. He might not be considered for any key assignment soon, political watchers feel.
The list of once-powerful leaders who are currently left to stare at uncertainty despite elector success includes former ministers Jayant Malaiya, Ajay Vishnoi, Prabhuram Choudhary, Bisahulal Singh, Meena Singh, Usha Thakur, Brijendra Pratap Singh, Brajendra Yadav, Hardip Singh Dang, Omprakash Sakhlecha, Sanjay Pathak and the likes. Some of these leaders are over 70 like Gopal Bhargava and are unlikely to even get another run as legislatures.
Some leaders who lost the recent polls like former ministers Narottam Mishra, Arvind Singh Bhadoria, Mahendra Singh Sisodia, Rajvardhan Singh Dattigaon, Gaurishankar Bisen are also not sure about their political future.
Interestingly, Riti Pathak, who resigned as a Member of Parliament after winning the assembly polls has also been kept out of cabinet. But with age on her side, the 46-year-old is likely to get good assignments in future.
In Chhattisgarh too, senior leaders like former union minister Renuka Singh, who resigned after winning assembly polls, await fresh assignments. Interestingly, Singh’s name was being circulated as one of the most likely picks to become the new CM.
Others in need of fresh roles are resigned MP Gomti Sai, former leader of opposition Dharamlal Kaushik, former ministers Amar Agrawal, Rajesh Munat, Ajay Chandrakar, Punnulal Mohle, Bhaiyyalal Rajwade, Vikram Usendi and Lata Usendi.
