MP: BJP leader’s remarks spark speculation on next party chief

Mr Santhosh while addressing party workers in Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh a couple of days ago quipped that he was not sure if state BJP president Vishnu Dutt Sharma would accompany him in the next visit to the historical city in the capacity of his present position.

He was visiting Gwalior in connection with the ongoing organizational elections in the party.

A section of the party here is of the view that Mr Santhoshi has dropped ‘enough hints’ that the state BJP would get a new president in the ongoing organizational elections, by making such a statement.

“In Madhya Pradesh BJP, there is no precedent of retaining the president of the party in the organizational elections. Mr Santhoshi’s statement has given enough indications that the state party would get a new chief”, a senior party functionary told this newspaper on Wednesday, requesting not to be quoted.

Mr Sharma who also represents Khajuraho Lok Sabha constituency in Madhya Pradesh may be accommodated suitably, he said.

Mr Sharma whose tenure as party chief in Madhya Pradesh had seen BJP retaining power in the state in 2023 polls with thumping majority and making a clean sweep of the Lok Sabha polls in Madhya Pradesh by bagging all the 29 seats, is said to be lobbying hard to retain his post.

Other prospective candidates for the post whose names are making rounds in the party are speaker of the Madhya Pradesh legislative Assembly Narendra Singh Tomar, deputy chief minister Rajendra Shukla, former minister Narottam Mishra, party MPs, former minister Faggan Singh Kulaste, Mahendra Singh Solanki, and Sumer Singh Solanki, and former minister Lal Singh Arya.

Election for the post of state party chief may be held in December this year, sources said.

Conventionally, the state party chief is unanimously elected after the name is finalized by the party high command.