New Delhi, Dec 11: Mohan Yadav has been chosen as the new Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, more than two weeks after the ruling BJP routed rivals Congress to retain control of the heartland state. Mr Yadav, the Higher Education Minister in the outgoing government, was elected from the Ujjain Dakshin seat.
"I am a small party worker... I thank the party for this opportunity," Mr Yadav said.
The BJP, in a bid to contain ambitions and soothe ruffled feathers ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha election, also named two deputy chief ministers - Jagdish Deora and Rajesh Shukla. Mr Deora was elected from Malhagarh by nearly 60,000 votes and Mr Shukla from Rewa by around 21,000 votes.
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 been widely 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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