Is BJP Set to Announce New MP Unit Chief Today?

Bhopal, July 2 (NationPress) Following the emergence of Hemant Khandelwal (60), a former MP and the current MLA from Betul, as the only candidate for the BJP unit chief position in Madhya Pradesh, an official announcement regarding his ascent to the role is expected on Wednesday.

A gathering of the 379-member electoral college from the state, which comprises 163 MLAs, 29 MPs, district BJP presidents, and select office-bearers, will convene on Wednesday morning to make the official declaration. After this announcement, Khandelwal will succeed V.D. Sharma, the Khajuraho MP, who has served as the state BJP president for over five years.

Upon assuming his new role, a celebratory event will be held at the BJP headquarters in Bhopal, attended by all 379 members of the electoral college and party activists from across Madhya Pradesh.

V.D. Sharma will also receive a farewell for his successful tenure as the MP BJP chief. Under his leadership, the party won the Assembly elections in November-December 2023 and maintained its position despite significant anti-incumbency sentiments after two decades of governance.

Sharma became the first MP BJP chief to guide the party to a complete victory, winning all 29 Lok Sabha seats in June 2024. In the 2019 elections, the BJP secured 28 out of 29 seats, with the only loss occurring in Chhindwara, a stronghold of Congress leader and former Chief Minister Kamal Nath.

However, in the 2024 elections, the BJP reclaimed Chhindwara from Congress, and also won a by-election in the Amarwara Assembly seat in July last year.

The newly appointed state BJP president, Khandelwal, is known for his understated demeanor and was selected by Chief Minister Mohan Yadav as the party's candidate for the presidency. His nomination garnered support from several influential BJP figures, including former Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Union Ministers Jyotiraditya Scindia and Virendra Kumar Khatik, outgoing state BJP chief V.D. Sharma, and Deputy Chief Minister Rajendra Shukla.

Interestingly, two prominent BJP leaders, Urban Development Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya and former Home Minister Narottam Mishra, were notably absent during the nomination process, as reported by BJP sources.

Khandelwal's unopposed nomination suggests CM Yadav's increasing influence over party decisions in the state and may indicate efforts to strengthen control or prepare for future political challenges.

Initially, Khandelwal entered the political arena through a 2007 by-election following the death of his father, the veteran BJP MP Vijay Kumar Khandelwal, who served four terms in the Lok Sabha.

He transitioned to state politics, serving as an MLA in 2013 and securing re-election in 2023. Despite a loss in 2018, he maintained a low-profile, consensus-building reputation supported by both the RSS and party leadership.