The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday sprang a surprise and announced the name of three-time Ujjain South MLA Mohan Yadav as the new chief minister of the central Indian state Madhya Pradesh, bringing an end to the tenure of Shivraj Singh Chouhan who led the election campaign of the party that won 163 seats in the recent assembly elections, while defying all concerns of anti-incumbency. 
 
The party also announced that Jagdish Devda and Rajendra Shukla will be the two Deputy CMs in the state.

Yadav was a cabinet minister in the the Shivraj Singh Chouhan government. He became MLA for the first time from Ujjain South seat in 2013. In the 2018 assembly elections, he was again elected from the same seat. 
 
“I am a small worker of the party. I thank all of you, the state leadership and the central leadership. With your love and support, I will try to fulfil my responsibilities," Yadav said after the announcement.

Meanwhile, the BJP&nbsp;further announced that&nbsp;former Union Minister Narendra Singh Tomar will be the speaker of the house in MP.&nbsp;

India's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party had clinched a massive victory in Madhya Pradesh Assembly election. The results came out in favour of the BJP despite exit polls predicting a tight race.&nbsp;

The BJP won 163&nbsp;seats which was more than double the number of seats of Congress.

The ruling party won the recent assembly polls in MP, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh.&nbsp;

On Sunday, BJP had announced Vishnu Deo Sai, a tribal leader, as the new chief minister of Chhattisgarh.&nbsp; 
 
The CM of Rajasthan is likely to be announced on Tuesday after a meeting of the new legislators amid the presence of central observers of the party. &nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday sprang a surprise and announced the name of three-time Ujjain South MLA Mohan Yadav as the new chief minister of the central Indian state Madhya Pradesh, bringing an end to the tenure of Shivraj Singh Chouhan who led the election campaign of the party that won 163 seats in the recent assembly elections, while defying all concerns of anti-incumbency.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday sprang a surprise and announced the name of three-time Ujjain South MLA Mohan Yadav as the new chief minister of the central Indian state Madhya Pradesh, bringing an end to the tenure of Shivraj Singh Chouhan who led the election campaign of the party that won 163 seats in the recent assembly elections, while defying all concerns of anti-incumbency. The party also announced that Jagdish Devda and Rajendra Shukla will be the two Deputy CMs in the state. Yadav was a cabinet minister in the the Shivraj Singh Chouhan government. He became MLA for the first time from Ujjain South seat in 2013. In the 2018 assembly elections, he was again elected from the same seat. “I am a small worker of the party. I thank all of you, the state leadership and the central leadership. With your love and support, I will try to fulfil my responsibilities," Yadav said after the announcement. Meanwhile, the BJP further announced that former Union Minister Narendra Singh Tomar will be the speaker of the house in MP. India's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party had clinched a massive victory in Madhya Pradesh Assembly election. The results came out in favour of the BJP despite exit polls predicting a tight race. The BJP won 163 seats which was more than double the number of seats of Congress. The ruling party won the recent assembly polls in MP, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh. On Sunday, BJP had announced Vishnu Deo Sai, a tribal leader, as the new chief minister of Chhattisgarh. The CM of Rajasthan is likely to be announced on Tuesday after a meeting of the new legislators amid the presence of central observers of the party. (With inputs from agencies)

India: BJP appoints Mohan Yadav as the new chief minister of Madhya Pradesh

Within a short span of the formation of the Kamal Nath-led Congress government with a wafer-thin majority, the question being asked by people across the board in Madhya Pradesh is whether it's changed (after 15 years of BJP rule) for the better or worse?

The image of the state government has&nbsp;started declining and what's added velocity to this fall is the crushing defeat the Congress party has suffered in the just-concluded Lok Sabha elections.

Nath began his innings as Madhya Pradesh chief minister on a robust note, especially given his reputation as an experienced administrator and long exposure as a Union Minister. The background and also the hybrid political stature exclusively derived from the closeness to the Nehru-Gandhi family notwithstanding, Nath assumed the seat of power in Madhya Pradesh with the unwritten rider that a large part of his strength in the Assembly was courtesy Digvijaya Singh, senior Congress leader and former Madhya Pradesh chief minister, who commands the biggest support base in the state cabinet that also includes his son Jaivardhan Singh, who holds the portfolio of the high profile Urban Development and Housing department. In this backdrop, those in knowledgeable circles even started saying that besides the chief minister, there is also an extra-constitutional power centre in the state.

Regarding Nath's grip on administration, everyone having a ringside view knows how particular the chief minister is when it comes to spending long hours at Mantralaya - the state secretariat. They do credit him for introducing a new work culture that keeps the babudom&nbsp;on its toes.&nbsp;

The bureaucracy doesn’t have much to complain on this count but what's keeping them jittery is the sword of transfers constantly hanging over them.

Within a short time span, there's been a slew of transfers at all levels and the signals are that the transfer industry is now fully entrenched. Adding to the downside also is the anger that's brewing among the Congress workers. A senior party leader, who preferred to call himself a "disciplined party worker" said the other day “God save his party” after the electoral debacle in general election 2019.&nbsp;

Referring to his party managing to win only 1 of the 29 parliamentary seats in the state, he said the chief minister is not accessible to party workers like him, who have devoted their entire life to the Congress party. This is not the way forward, he opined adding even the Congress President is annoyed as the chief minister could hold his own turf by getting his son elected from Chhindwara, his traditional parliamentary constituency, while every other Congress candidate was defeated in Madhya Pradesh.

The Congress government in Madhya Pradesh began what's supposed to be a "five-year run" with the tall pre-2018 Assembly election promise that all farmers' debt would be waived once the Congress gets elected to power. Congress president Rahul Gandhi had shouted from the rooftop about the waiver of rural loans to woo the farmers during electioneering for the general election to the state Assembly. This one promise became a waterloo moment for Congress party in the parliamentary election as the farmers felt robbed when it came to the implementation of this promise. Now the dilemma on the ruling side is the banks telling the farmers who have benefitted from the loan waiver scheme that they would not be eligible for new loans. No wonder they are feeling cornered and cheated.

This summer season, mercury has soared crossing all limits and just as the people feeling the heat like never before, the state Congress unit bosses both in the government and the party are feeling the political heat as there is the growing talk of the Kamal Nath government losing its majority on the floor of the state Assembly. BJP insiders are responding to this speculation by saying that they are not interested in destabilising or pulling the rug out from under the present government. They will prefer to wait and watch it crumble under its own weight and growing dissidence within. 
 
(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)&nbsp; 
 
&nbsp;

Within a short span of the formation of the Kamal Nath-led Congress government with a wafer-thin majority, the question being asked by people across the board in Madhya Pradesh is whether it's changed (after 15 years of BJP rule) for the better or worse?

Within a short span of the formation of the Kamal Nath-led Congress government with a wafer-thin majority, the question being asked by people across the board in Madhya Pradesh is whether it's changed (after 15 years of BJP rule) for the better or worse? The image of the state government has started declining and what's added velocity to this fall is the crushing defeat the Congress party has suffered in the just-concluded Lok Sabha elections. Nath began his innings as Madhya Pradesh chief minister on a robust note, especially given his reputation as an experienced administrator and long exposure as a Union Minister. The background and also the hybrid political stature exclusively derived from the closeness to the Nehru-Gandhi family notwithstanding, Nath assumed the seat of power in Madhya Pradesh with the unwritten rider that a large part of his strength in the Assembly was courtesy Digvijaya Singh, senior Congress leader and former Madhya Pradesh chief minister, who commands the biggest support base in the state cabinet that also includes his son Jaivardhan Singh, who holds the portfolio of the high profile Urban Development and Housing department. In this backdrop, those in knowledgeable circles even started saying that besides the chief minister, there is also an extra-constitutional power centre in the state. Regarding Nath's grip on administration, everyone having a ringside view knows how particular the chief minister is when it comes to spending long hours at Mantralaya - the state secretariat. They do credit him for introducing a new work culture that keeps the babudom on its toes. The bureaucracy doesn’t have much to complain on this count but what's keeping them jittery is the sword of transfers constantly hanging over them. Within a short time span, there's been a slew of transfers at all levels and the signals are that the transfer industry is now fully entrenched. Adding to the downside also is the anger that's brewing among the Congress workers. A senior party leader, who preferred to call himself a "disciplined party worker" said the other day “God save his party” after the electoral debacle in general election 2019. Referring to his party managing to win only 1 of the 29 parliamentary seats in the state, he said the chief minister is not accessible to party workers like him, who have devoted their entire life to the Congress party. This is not the way forward, he opined adding even the Congress President is annoyed as the chief minister could hold his own turf by getting his son elected from Chhindwara, his traditional parliamentary constituency, while every other Congress candidate was defeated in Madhya Pradesh. The Congress government in Madhya Pradesh began what's supposed to be a "five-year run" with the tall pre-2018 Assembly election promise that all farmers' debt would be waived once the Congress gets elected to power. Congress president Rahul Gandhi had shouted from the rooftop about the waiver of rural loans to woo the farmers during electioneering for the general election to the state Assembly. This one promise became a waterloo moment for Congress party in the parliamentary election as the farmers felt robbed when it came to the implementation of this promise. Now the dilemma on the ruling side is the banks telling the farmers who have benefitted from the loan waiver scheme that they would not be eligible for new loans. No wonder they are feeling cornered and cheated. This summer season, mercury has soared crossing all limits and just as the people feeling the heat like never before, the state Congress unit bosses both in the government and the party are feeling the political heat as there is the growing talk of the Kamal Nath government losing its majority on the floor of the state Assembly. BJP insiders are responding to this speculation by saying that they are not interested in destabilising or pulling the rug out from under the present government. They will prefer to wait and watch it crumble under its own weight and growing dissidence within. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

Kamal Nath-led Congress government feels the heat in Madhya Pradesh

What is Madhya Pradesh's new chief minister Kamal Nath up to? Given his reputation as an astute politician, not so much a grassroots leader as a backroom strategist, one would not dismiss his latest statement favouring jobs for local citizens of his state by structuring state incentives and his reference to migrants from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh taking away jobs as a goofy, foot-in-the-mouth outpouring.&nbsp;

There is a likely political strategy behind this and for this, we need to take stock of what is happening within the Indian National Congress.

It is quite clear that Nath's claim to fame despite being elected from the Chhindwara Lok Sabha constituency several times is that he is essentially where he is because he has built for himself the reputation as a doer on the back of his proximity to the Nehru-Gandhi political family that goes back to his days in Doon School as a chum of the late Sanjay Gandhi.

But he needs all the popular support he can muster in order to keep his place in a state where the rival BJP is extremely strong and power struggles within his own party can be even stronger - given that we have Jyotiraditya Scindia, Digvijaya Singh and even Ajay Singh, the son of late Arjun Singh, among formidable politicians with strong local support in varying degrees.

Nath's moment of glory has been in his signing a paper to waive off farm loans of up to Rs 2 lakh as part of his party's election promise. What better occasion than this photo opportunity for him to buy himself a future populist card sitting on a big chair? It must be remembered that the Congress is not what it used to be and Nath needs something beyond the blessings of 10, Janpath, the residence of Ms Sonia Gandhi, to stay ahead in the party and in the public eye. A populist gesture will also help him boost his image as a grassroots leader. Knowing him, the statement he made could not have been off-the-cuff at all.

Sadly, however, his statement in more than one sense reminds of two other historic figures associated with Madhya Pradesh, each with a story that resembles his. They are the famous poet Kalidasa and the celebrated singer Kishore Kumar.&nbsp;

What Kamal Nath is doing now may be for his party something resembling what the poet Kalidasa is supposed to have done as a youth when he started cutting the very branch of a tree he was sitting on, before he was coaxed out of his ignorant ways to become the most celebrated dramatist of India's leading classical language, Sanskrit.&nbsp;

Kamal Nath was born in UP, and it is said Kalidas, though associated with Ujjain in MP, may have migrated from Kashmir. Kishore Kumar, though a Bengali speaker, was born in Khandwa which is part of Madhya Pradesh. These illustrious sons would not have made Madhya Pradesh proud without the region following a welcome policy for outside workers. Nath himself is an outsider to MP. For him to talk of nativism based on domicile status is a case of irony wrapped in contradictions.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi's diplomatic evasion of comment on the nativist issue is understandable but he has to speak up sooner than later. The Nehru-Gandhi family traces its own origins to Delhi and Kashmir and not Uttar Pradesh where its political base lies.

Moreover, it is the Congress that led the move to frame India's Republican Constitution that promises fundamental rights, two of which are challenged by the kind of words Kamal Nath has used and a third implicitly so. The right to equality that is against discrimination including one based on place of birth and the right to freedom including one that allows freedom of movement and practice of a profession are two vital rights in Kamal Nath hit list. To this, we may add the idea of 'right to work' enshrined among the directive principles of the Constitution.&nbsp;

In effect, Kamal Nath, in a seemingly shrewd political move, may be cutting the branch of his Congress tree - or worse, the tree's very trunk. Parties like Raj Thackeray's Maharashtra Navanirman Sena (MNS) and K Chandrashekar Rao's Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) are known to play on nativism with a focus on domicile status. For Congress to do this would be naive at best and suicidal at worst.

The BJP's supporters and sympathisers frequently invoke Sonia Gandhi's Italian origins to call her a 'foreigner' despite all the hard work she has put in, including a level of fluency in Hindi that BJP's south Indian leaders cannot boast of. All that will come to nought if Kamal Nath is not pulled up for what he said. 
&nbsp;

(This article was originally published on Zeenews. Read the <a href="http://zeenews.india.com/blogs/kamal-naths-migrant-comment-could-be-a-foot-in-the-congress-mouth-2164331.html">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL) 
&nbsp;

What is Madhya Pradesh's new chief minister Kamal Nath up to? Given his reputation as an astute politician, not so much a grassroots leader as a backroom strategist, one would not dismiss his latest statement favouring jobs for local citizens of his state by structuring state incentives and his reference to migrants from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh taking away jobs as a goofy, foot-in-the-mouth outpouring.

What is Madhya Pradesh's new chief minister Kamal Nath up to? Given his reputation as an astute politician, not so much a grassroots leader as a backroom strategist, one would not dismiss his latest statement favouring jobs for local citizens of his state by structuring state incentives and his reference to migrants from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh taking away jobs as a goofy, foot-in-the-mouth outpouring. There is a likely political strategy behind this and for this, we need to take stock of what is happening within the Indian National Congress. It is quite clear that Nath's claim to fame despite being elected from the Chhindwara Lok Sabha constituency several times is that he is essentially where he is because he has built for himself the reputation as a doer on the back of his proximity to the Nehru-Gandhi political family that goes back to his days in Doon School as a chum of the late Sanjay Gandhi. But he needs all the popular support he can muster in order to keep his place in a state where the rival BJP is extremely strong and power struggles within his own party can be even stronger - given that we have Jyotiraditya Scindia, Digvijaya Singh and even Ajay Singh, the son of late Arjun Singh, among formidable politicians with strong local support in varying degrees. Nath's moment of glory has been in his signing a paper to waive off farm loans of up to Rs 2 lakh as part of his party's election promise. What better occasion than this photo opportunity for him to buy himself a future populist card sitting on a big chair? It must be remembered that the Congress is not what it used to be and Nath needs something beyond the blessings of 10, Janpath, the residence of Ms Sonia Gandhi, to stay ahead in the party and in the public eye. A populist gesture will also help him boost his image as a grassroots leader. Knowing him, the statement he made could not have been off-the-cuff at all. Sadly, however, his statement in more than one sense reminds of two other historic figures associated with Madhya Pradesh, each with a story that resembles his. They are the famous poet Kalidasa and the celebrated singer Kishore Kumar. What Kamal Nath is doing now may be for his party something resembling what the poet Kalidasa is supposed to have done as a youth when he started cutting the very branch of a tree he was sitting on, before he was coaxed out of his ignorant ways to become the most celebrated dramatist of India's leading classical language, Sanskrit. Kamal Nath was born in UP, and it is said Kalidas, though associated with Ujjain in MP, may have migrated from Kashmir. Kishore Kumar, though a Bengali speaker, was born in Khandwa which is part of Madhya Pradesh. These illustrious sons would not have made Madhya Pradesh proud without the region following a welcome policy for outside workers. Nath himself is an outsider to MP. For him to talk of nativism based on domicile status is a case of irony wrapped in contradictions. Congress president Rahul Gandhi's diplomatic evasion of comment on the nativist issue is understandable but he has to speak up sooner than later. The Nehru-Gandhi family traces its own origins to Delhi and Kashmir and not Uttar Pradesh where its political base lies. Moreover, it is the Congress that led the move to frame India's Republican Constitution that promises fundamental rights, two of which are challenged by the kind of words Kamal Nath has used and a third implicitly so. The right to equality that is against discrimination including one based on place of birth and the right to freedom including one that allows freedom of movement and practice of a profession are two vital rights in Kamal Nath hit list. To this, we may add the idea of 'right to work' enshrined among the directive principles of the Constitution. In effect, Kamal Nath, in a seemingly shrewd political move, may be cutting the branch of his Congress tree - or worse, the tree's very trunk. Parties like Raj Thackeray's Maharashtra Navanirman Sena (MNS) and K Chandrashekar Rao's Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) are known to play on nativism with a focus on domicile status. For Congress to do this would be naive at best and suicidal at worst. The BJP's supporters and sympathisers frequently invoke Sonia Gandhi's Italian origins to call her a 'foreigner' despite all the hard work she has put in, including a level of fluency in Hindi that BJP's south Indian leaders cannot boast of. All that will come to nought if Kamal Nath is not pulled up for what he said. (This article was originally published on Zeenews. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Kamal Nath's migrant comment could be a foot in the Congress mouth

Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has agreed to the demands of teachers protesting in the states for the appointment as regular teachers.&nbsp;

They will now be included in the Education Department as regular teachers.&nbsp;

The move will benefit over 2 lakh teachers.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MadhyaPradesh?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MadhyaPradesh</a> CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan agrees to the demands of teachers protesting in the state. They will now be included in Education Dept as regular teachers, over 2.84 lakh teachers to be benefited.
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/955044525663076352?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 21, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

The teachers were protesting for a long time.

On January 13 about hundred teachers went bald for their protest.&nbsp;

After the government&#39;s approval, all the teachers will get equal pay for equal work.&nbsp;

The protest was organised in demand for equal pay for equal work and better transfer policies.&nbsp;

Shivraj Singh Chouhan has agreed to the demands of teachers protesting in the states for the appointment as regular teachers

Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has agreed to the demands of teachers protesting in the states for the appointment as regular teachers. They will now be included in the Education Department as regular teachers. The move will benefit over 2 lakh teachers. #MadhyaPradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan agrees to the demands of teachers protesting in the state. They will now be included in Education Dept as regular teachers, over 2.84 lakh teachers to be benefited. — ANI (@ANI) January 21, 2018 × The teachers were protesting for a long time. On January 13 about hundred teachers went bald for their protest. After the government's approval, all the teachers will get equal pay for equal work. The protest was organised in demand for equal pay for equal work and better transfer policies.

After Madhya Pradesh teachers go bald, Shivraj Singh Chouhan agrees to their demands

The people in Madhya Pradesh&#39;s Shivpuri village have claimed that the district administration took away gifts and money that was gifted to them by chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.&nbsp;

The villagers said that the money and gifts were taken away by the district administration during the Sahariya Sammelan on December 9.

The villagers said the chief minister had distributed Rs 2100 and gifts to the tribal girls which were taken away by the district administration as soon as the chief minister had left.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MadhyaPradesh?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MadhyaPradesh</a>: Villagers in Shivpuri say &quot;during Sahariya Sammelan on 9th December, officials of the district administration took away gifts and Rs 2100 distributed by Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan to the tribal girls, as soon as the CM left&quot;. <a href="https://t.co/enSiNK5ea7">pic.twitter.com/enSiNK5ea7</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/944185631294365698?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 22, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

Defending&nbsp;his administration, the collector has said that the girls were given Rs 100 and not&nbsp;Rs 2100.&nbsp;

He said the villagers had &quot;some confusion&quot;.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
The girls were only given Rs 100, and not Rs 2100. In addition, sweaters were also distributed as gifts. Maybe villagers have some confusion: Shivpuri Collector <a href="https://t.co/MBkwGXCfqp">pic.twitter.com/MBkwGXCfqp</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/944186122430640129?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 22, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

&nbsp;

The chief minister had distributed Rs 2100 and gifts to the tribal girls, villagers said

The people in Madhya Pradesh's Shivpuri village have claimed that the district administration took away gifts and money that was gifted to them by chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan. The villagers said that the money and gifts were taken away by the district administration during the Sahariya Sammelan on December 9. The villagers said the chief minister had distributed Rs 2100 and gifts to the tribal girls which were taken away by the district administration as soon as the chief minister had left. #MadhyaPradesh: Villagers in Shivpuri say "during Sahariya Sammelan on 9th December, officials of the district administration took away gifts and Rs 2100 distributed by Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan to the tribal girls, as soon as the CM left". pic.twitter.com/enSiNK5ea7 — ANI (@ANI) December 22, 2017 × Defending his administration, the collector has said that the girls were given Rs 100 and not Rs 2100. He said the villagers had "some confusion". The girls were only given Rs 100, and not Rs 2100. In addition, sweaters were also distributed as gifts. Maybe villagers have some confusion: Shivpuri Collector pic.twitter.com/MBkwGXCfqp — ANI (@ANI) December 22, 2017 ×