It is a prestige battle for the BJP in Madhya Pradesh. The party, which has been in power in the state for almost 20 years, except for a brief period between 2018 and 2020. Throughout the ruling time period, Shivraj Singh Chouhan has been the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh.

However, in this instance, the party contends with both anti-incumbency sentiments and internal strife. The decision to recruit prominent figures from the central leadership has triggered discontent and led to resignations.

Chouhan is personally grappling with a sense of weariness after holding the position for numerous years.

Here is how the line-up looks:

SHIVRAJ SINGH CHOUHAN

The biggest question ahead of these polls is about Chouhan’s ability to counter anti-incumbency and retain the CM chair.

As is common in BJP narratives, Chouhan’s journey also originates from the RSS. Born into a farmer’s family in Sehore district, the 64-year-old became associated with the organization in 1972. He started as a member of the RSS student wing, Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), and later joined the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) while studying at Barkatullah University in Bhopal.

Chouhan was elected from the Vidisha constituency in 1991 which became a seat that he won three more times. It was in 2005 that Chouhan first became the CM and took over from Baby Lal Gaur.

Chouhan’s time as the CM made a shift from Uma Bharti’s controversial term. Chouhan’s emphasis was on grassroots policies and keenness to connect with the public.

He rose within the BJP through his OBC focus, but missed out on the PM role to Narendra Modi in 2014. Losing the 2018 Assembly elections weakened his position, and the Delhi leadership’s role in the Congress rebellion against him further diminished his stature. Now, Chouhan relies on pro-women, pro-poor, and pro-Hindutva policies for re-election. However, Modi’s increasing involvement in the state campaign pushes Chouhan into the background, as the BJP looks beyond him for the future.

JYOTIRADITYA SCINDIA

While Chouhan is a seasoned BJP member, Scindia is a recent entrant who swiftly climbed the ranks. In 2002, he entered politics by winning the Guna Lok Sabha bypoll after his father’s, Madhavrao Scindia, demise. He represented Guna until 2019 when he lost to his former loyalist K P Yadav. Scindia also held ministerial positions in the Congress government and later joined the BJP in 2020, becoming a Rajya Sabha member.

Scindia’s defection remains the primary focus of criticism for the Congress, causing friction within the BJP. Despite some of Scindia’s supporters receiving BJP tickets, conflicts persist among lower-ranking party members. In recent months, a number of his loyalists have returned to the Congress, finding a warm welcome.

KAILASH VIJAYVARGIYA: PROVEN WINNER FOR BJP

The veteran Madhya Pradesh politician and BJP national general secretary, Kailash Vijayvargiya, recently grabbed headlines when he expressed his initial astonishment and bewilderment upon finding his name listed for the Indore 1 Assembly seat in the party’s second candidate list.

Vijayvargiya’s reputation as a proficient organizer, stemming from his journey as a corporator in the Indore Municipal Corporation to a minister, is what the party is relying on to dismantle the Congress’s dominance in Indore and secure all nine district seats for the BJP. His role is anticipated to be significant in the Malwa Nimar region, encompassing 66 seats, extending from Indore to the southwestern parts bordering Rajasthan and Gujarat.

The BJP had won 57 out of 66 seats in the 2013 Assembly elections. Congress on the other hand had barely managed to secure nine seats. In 2018, Congress made a comeback and won 36 seats.

Vijayvargiya has been a six-time MLA from Indore and has won every Assembly election he stood in after 1990. He has held various portfolios in the state Cabinet in the past: urban development, industries, information technology, and revenue.

In 2014, he assumed the role of the BJP’s election coordinator for Haryana, guiding the party to its inaugural majority in the state that year. In 2015, he ascended to the position of national general secretary and took on the task of supervising the party’s operations in West Bengal. During the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, he secured 18 seats for the BJP in Bengal, a remarkable feat in a state where the party had minimal presence.

During the 2021 Assembly elections, the BJP emerged as the primary opposition force in Bengal, effectively eclipsing the CPI(M) and Congress.

NARENDRA SINGH TOMAR

Tomar, the Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, stands as a prominent candidate fielded by the BJP in this election. He serves as the convener of the BJP’s election management committee and is anticipated to address any issues that may arise among BJP veterans and Scindia’s supporters.

Tomar’s extensive experience and stature are pivotal in this role. He embarked on his political journey as the president of the BJYM’s Gwalior branch in 1980 and secured his first MLA ticket as far back as 1998. He also served as the state president of the BJP for two terms in 2006 and 2012.

Tomar has been elected as an MP from Morena three times and has held crucial portfolios at the Centre, including Steel, Mines, Labour, Employment, Panchayati Raj, Rural Development, Drinking Water and Agriculture, Sanitation, Farmers’ Welfare, and Food Processing.

PRAHLAD SINGH PATEL

Another unexpected Union minister entering the MP elections, Patel holds close ties with both PM Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah.

Patel, a five-time MP, presently serves as the Minister of State for Food Processing Industries and Jal Shakti.

He has chosen to contest from Narsinghpur, in an effort to consolidate support within his Lodhi community, previously represented by Jalam Singh Patel.

There is a growing speculation that Patel is a strong contender for the CM position due to his impressive organizational skills.

Patel began his political journey as a youth activist and assumed the role of district president of the BJYM in 1982. He subsequently became the general secretary of the organization in 1986. In 1989, he was first elected to the Lok Sabha from Balaghat and secured the seat again in 1996 and 1999.

In 2003, Patel gained Uma Bharti’s trust after she led the BJP to victory, toppling the decade-long Congress government led by Digvijaya Singh. He then relocated to Delhi, where he headed the Coal Ministry in the A B Vajpayee government.

During Uma Bharti’s rebellion against Chouhan in 2005, Patel sided with her as she formed the Bharatiya Janshakti Party. However, he returned to the BJP in 2009 and in 2014, clinched his fourth Lok Sabha term as an MP from Damoh. He retained the seat in 2019, securing a victory with a substantial margin of 3 lakh votes.