The Bharatiya Janata Party has announced central observers on Friday to oversee the selection of Chief Ministers for Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Rajasthan. The observers will be visiting their respective states to convene meetings of the elected Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs).
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Vinod Tawade, and Saroj Pandey will be observers for Rajasthan. Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar, K Laxman, and Asha Lakra will be observers in Madhya Pradesh, and as far as Chhattisgarh is concerned, Union Ministers Arjun Munda, Sarbananda Sonowal, and Dushyant Gautam will be overseeing the process of selecting the Chief Minister.
The saffron party registered thumping victories in the assembly elections in Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh.
In Rajasthan, Rajnath Singh will be joined by party's vice-president Saroj Pandey and its general secretary Vinod Tawde as central observers amid intense buzz within the BJP that the leadership will bring in a new leader.
In MP, Khattar will be joined by the party's OBC 'Morcha' head K Laxman and its secretary Asha Lakra for the Madhya Pradesh meeting. As far as Chhattisgarh is concerned, Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and BJP's general secretary Dushwant Kumar Gautam will be central observers along with Munda.
Earlier on Tuesday, MP incumbent Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said he was never a contender for the top position in the state earlier nor is he now. Speaking to reporters, Chouhan said that he is simply a party worker, asserting that the workers at BJP only work for big missions and not for any particular posts.
"Earlier also I was not CM contender, today also I'm not and I won't be CM contender later also. BJP workers work for a big mission, not for any particular post. Through that mission, whatever work we get, we do it with sincerity," ANI quoted him as saying.