The BJP has named a surprise pick as the new Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh – Mohan Yadav, 58, a leader from the Yadav OBC community that is not as dominant as some others in the heartland state.

He was elected as leader of the BJP’s legislative party 15 days after the party routed the Congress to retain control of Madhya Pradesh. The Higher Education Minister in the previous government, he thanked the BJP for the appointment. “I am a small party worker… I thank the party for this opportunity.”

“I thank all of you… state and central leadership (and), with your love and support, I will try to fulfil my responsibilities,” Mr Yadav, festooned with garlands, said after the meeting of the MLAs.

Mr Yadav’s delighted wife, meanwhile, thanked Lord Shiva for her husband’s elevation. “Bhagwan Mahakal ka ashirwad hai… party ka ashirwad hai. He has been working with the BJP since 1984. Whenever he came to Ujjain, he went to offer prayers to Mahakal…” she told news agency ANI.

#WATCH | Ujjain, MP: After Mohan Yadav was elected as the new Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, his wife says “Bhagwan Mahakal ka ashirwad hai, party ka ashirwad hai. He has been working with the BJP since 1984. Whenever he used to come to Ujjain, he went to offer prayers to… pic.twitter.com/dcobNL0Zdr

— ANI (@ANI) December 11, 2023

The BJP, in a bid to soothe ruffled feathers ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha election, also named two deputy chief ministers – Jagdish Devda and Rajesh Shukla. Mr Devda was elected from Malhagarh by nearly 60,000 votes and Mr Shukla, who won the Rewa seat for a fifth time by around 21,000 votes.

Both Mr Devda and Mr Shukla also held cabinet berths in previous Chouhan governments.

The appointments end suspense over the identity of two of three chief ministers for the states the BJP won on December 3. Vishnu Deo Sai was named Chhattisgarh Chief Minister on Sunday.

Now, of the five states that voted in November, only Rajasthan is without a Chief Minister; the Congress, which won Telangana, has installed Revanth Reddy in the top post and, in Mizoram, the fledgling Zoram People’s Movement claimed an impressive win and Lalduhoma is Chief Minister.

A three-time MLA from the Ujjain district, the appointment of Mohan Yadav, 58, has also been seen as the end of the political road (at least in the state) for his predecessor, Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

Mr Chouhan is a four-time Chief Minister and arguably the BJP’s tallest leader in the state, but seemed to side-lined by his party in the run-up to the November 17 election. The party opted for a campaign based on “collective leadership” built around Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s face.

The strategy reaped dividends; the BJP won 163 of 230 seats and the Congress, which actually won the 2018 election but saw its government fall two years later, was left with just 66, down from 114.

The BJP’s win defied several exit polls’ predictions of a tight race with the Congress.

Ex-Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar, one of three former cabinet members to contest last month’s election, has been made Assembly Speaker. There was speculation Mr Tomar, who led the ministry during protests against farm laws, could succeed Mr Chouhan to the top post.

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