A Tribal Face in Chhattisgarh: In Chhattisgarh, where tribal communities constitute a significant 32 per cent of the population, the BJP has opted for a tribal leader, Vishnu Deo Sai, as the Chief Minister. The move reflects the party’s intent to appeal to tribal voters and strategically position itself as a tribal-friendly face in neighbouring states with sizeable tribal populations, such as Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, and Odisha.
OBC man in Madhya Pradesh: Madhya Pradesh, a key battleground, witnessed meticulous manoeuvring by the BJP to accommodate various communities. The appointment of Mohan Yadav as Chief Minister, representing the Yadav community (another Other Backward Class), is seen as a move to court voters in politically crucial states like Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, where the Yadavs play a significant role. The BJP’s delicate balancing act also involves appointing Deputy Chief Ministers from different communities, including a Dalit and a Brahmin.A Common Party Leader in Rajasthan In Rajasthan, Bhajanlal Sharma, hailing from the upper Brahmin caste, emerged as the Chief Minister-designate, adding to the intrigue surrounding the BJP’s selections. The party, known for its unexpected choices, broke the tradition in Rajasthan, considering prominent figures like Vasundhara Raje.
Bhajanlal is considered close to the party’s ideological mentor, the RSS, and its chief, JP Nadda. He has worked for the party for the past 20 years. This marks an end to a 25-year-old trend where Rajasthan only witnessed Congress leader Ashok Gehlot and former chief minister Vasundhara Raje taking turns to rule the state.
While the BJP’s practice of choosing leaders based on caste and community affiliations is not novel, the current selections indicate a strategic move towards a broader regional spread of different communities and castes. These decisions, which impact the composition of leadership in three crucial states, underscore the party’s meticulous planning to consolidate support ahead of the 2024 elections.
Caste balanceThe BJP has carefully tried to balance the caste arithmetic in all three states. In Rajasthan, Bhajanlal Sharma is Brahmin, while his deputies are Diya Kumari (Rajput) and Prem Chandra Bairwa (SC). In Madhya Pradesh, CM-designate Mohan Yadav hails from the OBC community, Deputy CM Rajiv Shuka is a Brahmin, and Jagdish Devda hails from the SC community.Similarly, in Chhattisgarh, Vishnu Deo hails from the tribal community, and his two deputy CMs, Vijay Sharma and Arun Sao, belong to the OBC and Brahmin communities, respectively.Nurturing a New Crop of Leaders: One thing is quite evident in the selection the party has decided to move to a new crop of leaders across the country. In the three states, the party has moved ahead of regional satraps like Vasundhara Raje, Shivraj Singh Chauhan, and Raman Singh and picked up fresh party cadre faces like Vishnu Mohan Bhajan, Vasundhara, Shivraj Singh Chauhan, and Raman Singh. While Sharma is Brahmin by caste, the party had selected tribal leader Vishnu Deo Sai (59) in Chhattisgarh, and in Madhya Pradesh, the BJP had picked Mohan Yadav (58), an OBC, with a Dalit and a Brahmin as deputy CMs.Big Message to Party Cadre:The party has also tried to send a big message to the party cadre ahead of the big Lok Sabha battle in 2024 that anybody can get the big responsibility in the cadre-based party. This is also a message that the BJP is not a dynastic party where everybody has an equal chance.The move is likely to strengthen the party cadre with the belief that any party worker will be elevated based on performance.
Source: Economic Times
