The appointment of fresh faces with strong RSS-ABVP backgrounds as the new chief ministers of Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, and Madhya Pradesh—Bhajan Lal Sharma, Vishnu Deo Sai, and Mohan Yadav—has sparked discussions. Congress MP Manickam Tagore commented on the choices, stating that it reflects a lack of democracy within the BJP. He emphasized that these selections seem to prioritize Modi and Amit Shah’s preferences over those of the people and elected MLAs.
While Bhajan Lal Sharma emerged as the Rajasthan CM, Supriya Shrinate, a party spokesperson, outlined five takeaways from the BJP’s CM picks. According to Shrinate, these choices signal the end of BJP’s regional satraps, a strategy to neutralize anyone challenging PM Modi, a disregard for the decisions of elected MLAs, an expectation of puppet-like chief ministers, and a complete erosion of democracy within the BJP.
Congress leader Srinivas BV shared a video featuring Vasundhara Raje and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s interaction moments before Bhajan Lal Sharma’s announcement. The video sparked speculations about Raje’s reaction to the unexpected choice. Meanwhile, political analyst Tehseen Poonawalla questioned whether Congress was indirectly supporting Shivraj Singh Chouhan, accused in the Vyapam scam, and if the party preferred Vasundhara Raje as the Rajasthan chief minister.