Shivraj Singh Chouhan
Shivraj Singh Chouhan. Image credit - www.indiatoday.in

Decks cleared for former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan to become the state’s chief minister again as he was elected as the BJP legislature party leader on Monday.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) met on Monday evening to choose the leader of its legislature party.

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Confirming Chouhan being elected as the leader of the BJP legislature party, BJP’s national vice-president Vinay Sahasrabuddhe sharing an image of the meeting tweeted: “Oversaw proceedings of @BJP4MP Legislature Party Meet along with @ArunSinghbj where @ChouhanShivraj was elected as leader!”

Stating that the meeting was held through video conferencing, the BJP leader said: “All our best wishes to him as once again he takes over as CM of Madhya Pradesh! This was the first such meeting held via video conferencing!”

A media report quoted sources as saying that the swearing-in ceremony will be held at the Raj Bhawan in Bhopal at 9 pm on Monday.

Earlier, the names of Union minister Narendra Singh Tomar and former Madhya Pradesh minister Narottam Mishra were initially doing the round for the hot seat.

Following the fall of the Kamal Nath-led Congress government, the names of Tomar and Mishra were on the top.

But finally, the BJP picked up three-time chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan for the top post.

The report quoted BJP leaders as saying on Monday that the party needs to choose a leader and stake claim quickly as the state urgently requires a functional government in view of the outbreak of coronavirus.

As Madhya Pradesh was going through a political crisis, Chauhan was part of BJP’s top-level strategists discussing the issue in Delhi when the saffron party could manage to get the support of 22 Congress MLAs.

The Kamal Nath government fell after 22 Congress MLAs quit the Assembly and later joined the saffron party.

According to the report, Chauhan met Jyotiraditya Scindia several times before the latter meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Holi.

The former chief minister also led the BJP petition in Supreme Court against Kamal Nath government’s refusal to take a floor test.