BJP has plan to shift Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Vasundhara Raje to Centre?

New Delhi: The high-profile Chief Ministers of poll-bound Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Vasundhara Raje, may be moved to the Centre regardless of the outcome of the Assembly elections due to be held in the two states later this year.

Sources said that following high anti-incumbency and due to loss of popularity in their respective states, the saffron party leadership has decided to move them away from state politics. The results of the recent byelections in both Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, which were won by the Congress, have indicated the declining graph of Mr Chouhan and Ms Raje, saffron spin doctors claim.

However, fearing a rebellion, particularly by Ms Raje and her supporters, the party has decided to defer the change of guard in Rajasthan at this juncture.

A section of Rajasthan BJP leaders have approached the top party leadership to replace Ms Raje before the state elections.

It may be recalled that last month the leader of the BJP’s OBC wing in Kota, Ashok Choudhary, had petitioned party president Amit Shah to change the state leadership if the party wanted to retain power in the Rajasthan.

However, the fear that Ms Raje may have the capability to “split” the party if removed as CM has forced the BJP to continue with her, a senior party leader claimed.