New Era Begins In Madhya Pradesh As CM Mohan Yadav Takes Over Reins From Shivraj Chouhan

Mohan Yadav Oath Ceremony: Yadav, who belongs to OBC community, was picked by the BJP in a suprise move to lead the state, denying Chouhan a record fifth term in office.

Madhya PradeshCM Mohan Yadav being greeted by BJP workers and supporters ( Image Source :PTI )

A new era began in Madhya Pradesh as Mohan Yadav took oath as the state's new Chief Minister on Wednesday after a nearly two-decade reign of BJP stalwart Shivraj Singh Chouhan. Jagdish Devda, a Dalit, and Rajendra Shukla, a Brahmin from the Vindhya region, were also sworn-in as deputy CMs by Governor Mangubhai Patel as top BJP leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, graced the event.

A huge crowd gathered at the Lal Parade Ground in Bhopal, with Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP president JP Nadda and chief ministers from 11 BJP-ruled states attending the swearing-in ceremony. A large number of BJP workers from Yadav's hometown Ujjain also attended the event.

READ | Madhya Pradesh CM: Who Is Mohan Yadav, Ujjain MLA Replacing Shivraj Chouhan At Top Post

Earlier in the day, Yadav, who won the Ujjain South seat, said he would follow the footsteps of PM Modi in governing the state.

"Madhya Pradesh will follow the footsteps just in the way Prime Minister Narendra Modi is leading the country. I come from the land of King Vikramaditya and I am committed to the progress of the state and fulfil the aspirations of crores of citizens of Madhya Pradesh. We will see the same good governance that existed during the rule of King Vikramaditya," ANI quoted Yadav as saying.

Who Is MP CM Mohan Yadav?

Yadav, who belongs to the Other Backward Classes (OBC) community, was picked by the BJP in a suprise move to lead the state, denying Chouhan a record fifth term in office. OBCs represent nearly 48 per cent of the state population.

Yadav, who was the Higher Education minister in the previous Shivraj Chouhan government, was won the Ujjain South seat for the first time in 2013. He retained the seat in 2018 and 2023 polls as well.

A businessman-turned-politician, Yadav holds a Masters degree in political science from Vikram University. He also did his PhD from the same university in 2009.

With Yadav's appointment as CM, BJP has attempted to woo the dominant Yadav community in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha election. The Yadav community accounts for 10-14% of the population in these states. 

Defying anti-incumbency and riding on the popularity of PM Modi, BJP secured 163 of the 230 assembly seats in Madhya Pradesh. The Congress, which formed the government in 2018 for a brief period, was reduced to just 66 seats.