Bhopal: Shah summons two minsters; takes feedback on state

Bhopal: National BJP president Amit Shah on Wednesday summoned state ministers Narottam Mishra and Jaibhan Singh Pavaiyya to New Delhi where he held a detailed discussion with them on political situation in the state. The move hints at several possibilities and is being seen as an indicator of change at the helm of the ruling party in the state.

Sources say that names of two ministers have been forwarded by RSS as possible replacements of state party chief Nandkumar Singh Chouhan. Mishra is believed to be close to Shah while Pavaiyya is a darling of the saffron organisation due to his Hindutva credentials.
The changes in the party set-up at the national level have fuelled speculations of changes at the state-level too. Shah had skipped the concluding function of the Ekatma Yatra at Omkareshwar. Against this backdrop, the BJP chief preferring the two ministers over chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan or other organisational leaders for a briefing on the political situation in the state assumes significance.

It may be a coincidence but the two ministers have been given important responsibilities vis-à-vis by-polls in Kolaras and Mungaoli assembly constituencies. The BJP high command is keeping a close watch on the developments in the two constituencies. The by-polls also figured in discussions with Shah.

Both the constituencies fall under Lok Sabha constituency, which Congress heavyweight Jyotiraditya Scindia represents. The BJP wants to win them at all costs. After BJP’s dismal performance in civic body polls, BJP’s national leadership is closely monitoring the developments in the state. Given this fact, the meeting is bound to create political stir.