58-year-old Mohan Yadav, an MLA from Ujjain South belonging to the BJP, has been announced as the next Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh. Touched and humbled, the 58-year-old Yadav thanked BJP, saying “I will fulfil the responsibility you have given to a small worker like me… with your love and blessings.” Yadav clinched his victory against the Congress candidate, bagging a sizeable margin of 12,941 votes. He will be succeeding Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who held the Chief Minister position for four terms. The BJP's decision to appoint Yadav was made known at a meeting in Bhopal, attended by their central observers.

With a political career spreading over three terms as a Ujjain Legislative Assembly (MLA) member, including time spent as the education minister under Chouhan, Yadav's experience is undoubted. 

MLA Govind Singh Rajput describes the decision to appoint Yadav as a cause for pride, highlighting Yadav's strong connections to the OBC community and the grounding reality of Ujjain. He expresses hopefulness for the future development of Madhya Pradesh under Yadav's leadership. 

The RSS-OBC Factor And Its Effect on Yadav's Appointment

Worth noting is Yadav's strong connection to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), a relationship that played a crucial role in securing him the Chief Minister's role. Coupled with his association with the dominant Other Backward Classes (OBC) community, these factors provided him a substantial advantage over other potential candidates. Notably, the BJP has a history of appointing OBC Chief Ministers, starting from Uma Bharti to Babulal Gaur and then Chouhan.

New BJP Faces Coming to Power

Initially, there was a debate about whether the next Chief Minister would be Chouhan, known for his 'Laadli Behna' scheme, or a new face. However, the decision favored a fresh face, with Rakesh Singh, MLA from Jabalpur, confirming it was actually Chouhan who proposed Yadav's name for the CM position. He describes Yadav as a competent leader, expecting him to continue implementing the BJP development policies. While expressing his commitment to perform his duties as a state legislator, Singh makes it clear that he was never in the race for the CM post. 

Chouhan also extended his good wishes for a smooth transfer of power, affirming his belief that under PM Narendra Modi's guidance, Yadav will lead Madhya Pradesh to notable progress and public welfare. “With heartfelt congratulations, I wish him the best for this new responsibility,” says Chouhan. 

In the evening, Yadav proceeded to the residence of Governor Mangubhai Patel and officially claimed his right to form the next government. 

Speculation had surrounded several individuals as potential successors to Chouhan, including Union Minister Prahlad Patel, BJP's national general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya and even Chouhan himself. 

Vijayvargiya described the new leadership as a foundation for "new energy, new hope, new development." He expressed his belief that under the ongoing work of PM Modi, Madhya Pradesh would establish itself as a model state. 

Other Appointments in the BJP Ranks

The BJP has also announced the appointment of two deputy chief ministers. These positions are set to be held by Jagdish Devda, a former finance minister who represents the Malhargarh constituency in Mandsaur, and Rajendra Shukla, a Brahmin leader who is the representative for the Rewa constituency located in the BJP stronghold of Vindhya. Both have had impressive runs as MLAs, having secured their roles for eight and five times respectively.

Other major appointments include Narendra Singh Tomar as the Assembly Speaker. Tomar was previously a Union Minister but gave up his role after securing a win in the state elections.

The BJP has now successfully filled two of the three Chief Minister spots up for grabs in the states where they secured a win on December 3 - Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, where Vishnu Deo Sai was announced as the new Chief Minister. The only state still awaiting the announcement of its new chief is Rajasthan.

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