Introduction
So, after a lot of permutations and combinations, the BJP finally came out with the 3 new chief ministers’ names in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh. Now, everybody is aware of Modi’s style of working, even the television anchors were prepared for these shocking names. They were continuously speculating on different names as per the past decisions by prime minister Modi.
But Modi has this knack of getting the better of everyone every time with his out-of-the-box thinking. These new faces of chief ministers in the Hindi heartland states show a dynamic change that is taking place in the BJP leadership. We are witnessing a change of guard from the established old but big names to new faces who have worked hard for the cadre.
Let us see what exactly it means for the party. Is it an indication of the bigger change going to take place in the top leadership for the 2029 general elections? Will Modi pass on the baton to Yogi or someone else in the line to take charge of the party leadership? Let us take a deep dive and do some more analysis.
Old BJP Individual Contributors But Could Not Win Big
Be it Dr. Raman Singh, Shivraj Singh Chauhan, or Vasundhara Raje, they are all capable leaders but could not do much when it comes to winning elections. It was mainly due to Modi’s charisma that they repeated their regime or came to power. The people in Rajasthan were in no mood to bring back Vasundhara Raje even though the election pattern shows an alternate government every 5 years.
In Madhya Pradesh, Shivraj Singh Chauhan was desperate to repeat so he opened his coffers for different welfare schemes in the last year of state elections. Dr. Raman Singh, marred by different charges for corruption in his last reigns made it difficult for the BJP to come back again in power. BJP workers had no hopes of even competing against Bupesh Baghel, Congress’s strong man and popular face.
The state elections were fought without any CM face and Modi led the fight from the front winning in all three states. Madhya Pradesh was a thumping win which has made the Congress party think and reorganize the party.
Had Sensed the Shortcoming
The top leadership had sensed that the state elections wouldn’t be a cakewalk for them. The Congress party would give a tough fight and there is a strong chance of them winning in all the 3 states. The TV opinion polls had made it clear to the BJP’s top leaders that fighting elections in the face of old chief ministers will surely bring them doom.
The aggressive campaign by Modi and his senior central government leaders brought a sense of trust and instilled relief that whatever he is promising will be true. It’s Modi’s guarantee after all.
Change is a Must
The leadership in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh had come to a point where the BJP strongly needed a change. People were tired of seeing the same old faces with the same politics. They wanted some fresh faces with a firebrand image like what we had seen in Uttar Pradesh. Mohan Yadav in MP brings that image along with Bhajanlal Sharma in Rajasthan.
Another important point that Modi wanted to highlight to the people of India and the opposition parties was that the BJP is the only party that thinks and gives credit to all the sections of the people. Be it the OBC chief minister from MP, the Adivasi chief minister from Chahtishgarh, or a Brahmin face in Rajasthan.
Rewards to the Loyalist and Committed Workers
It is often seen in politics that powerful party leaders reward their loyalists by giving them high positions in the party. The BJP party under the leadership of Modi has set up a precedent by giving credit to the loyal and hardworking party workers irrespective of their caste, religion, or relations with the party’s high command. The only criterion is that you have to be an obedient follower of the party’s ideologies and work for the party. Modi himself was a very ordinary, grassroots-level cadre and if he had become a prime minister, it was because of the party principles.
Party with a Difference
The BJP cadre has always been a disciplined worker and they have set an example on how the party should function. We might have seen leaders shifting their loyalties to other parties without any ideologies. This is hardly the case in the Modi-led party.
They have been giving importance to the lowest level party workers by rewarding them with bigger responsibilities frequently. The party workers have hardly shown any discontent if they were not given the post they were looking for. This shows the difference between the BJP party and other opposition parties.
Conclusion
We are not too sure who would lead the BJP team post 2029 general elections but one thing is very clear with the recent change of chief ministers. That Modi will hand over the baton to his able successor post his third term. Who will be that successor, only time will tell.