As the BJP and Congress get ready for a bipolar battle in Madhya Pradesh scheduled for November 17, both present a contrasting strategy in the context of deciding the leadership role and the process in selecting candidates. For the first time in the past three decades or more, the ruling BJP is contesting the Assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh without declaring the chief ministerial face despite having the longest incumbent Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan. On the other hand, the BJP also kept the race for CM’s post open by fielding several Union ministers and national general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya.
In 2003, the BJP had announced fire-brand Hindutva leader Uma Bharti as the party’s CM nearly a year ahead of the elections. In the next three consecutive elections — 2008, 2013 and 2018, the saffron party never shied away from projecting Chouhan as the CM face and gave him free hand in deciding candidates and campaigning. However, after getting defeated in 2018, the BJP’s central leadership seems to have changed its strategy and decided to contest the 2023 election directly under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The BJP has always followed the ideology of collective leadership and does not promote individualism. But, the things have changed a lot and for the last two decades, no other leader could establish himself to challenge the incumbent CM Chouhan. Whoever tried to challenge Chouhan, either has been sidelined or departed from the state’s politics. But, when the BJP lost in 2018, the BJP’s central leadership (Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Amit Shah), which was very different from in previous time, seems to have taken full command in Madhya Pradesh politics.
At present, the Madhya Pradesh BJP is facing high factionalism. Narratives have always played a crucial role in Assembly elections, especially states like Madhya Pradesh where more than half of the population is struggling to meet basic needs. Face fatigue may be the reason that BJP has decided not to project Chouhan. On the other hand, the situation is quite a contrast in the Congress, which has declared state unit chief Kamal Nath as the chief ministerial face. It was the first time after 1998 or 2003 that the Congress had declared its chief ministerial face months before the elections.
Similarly, the contrasts for the selection of candidates are also visible in the BJP and the Congress. The BJP’s candidates were selected from the state leadership, and then the central leadership used to give approval for the same, while in Congress, the situation was quite the contrary. But, this time the situation is very different and it is because of a change in the central leadership. The Congress’ central leadership is not the same as it used to be earlier, while the BJP’s central leadership has put the liberal policy aside. The Congress which has been out of power in Madhya Pradesh for the last two decades is hoping its strategies would work this time.
