BHOPAL: While Shivraj Singh Chouhan made debut as a union minister in Delhi, assuming charge of agriculture-farmers welfare and rural development ministries on Tuesday, the ruling BJP circles in state speculated about the possible names who could succeed the 65-year-old ex-CM in his assembly constituency Budhni.
Though Chouhan is yet to quit his MP Vidhan Sabha membership, BJP and power corridors in Bhopal and home district Sehore are already speculating about the possible candidates who could be fielded by the BJP from Budhni seat – which since 2006 has been synonymous with the saffron party’s longest serving CM.
Sources in the ruling party in Bhopal and Sehore claimed that two names – including former Vidisha MP Ramakant Bhargava and Chouhan’s elder son Kartikeya Singh Chouhan – are the frontrunners for possible BJP candidate from Budhni, once Chouhan quits from the seat and the by-polls are announced by the ECI.
While Kartikeya has been active in the constituency, particularly since 2018 (he has been managing the polls and the constituency for father since then), Bhargava, the 2019 winner from Vidisha LS seat too is considered close to the ex-CM and may be the preferred choice, especially as the party is not comfortable with family politics.
However, those backing Chouhan Jr’s poll prospects claim that nothing is impossible, particularly, after the BJP fielded MP forest minister Nagarsingh Chouhan’s wife Anita Nagarsingh Chouhan from Ratlam-ST seat against Congress veteran Kantilal Bhuria and Anita emerged victorious by over 2 lakh votes.