The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is gearing up for a significant shift in the leadership landscape in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, two crucial Hindi heartland states that recently underwent polls. On Wednesday, the party will witness the oath-taking ceremony of the new Chief Ministers, marking a transition without the old guard.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP President J P Nadda, along with several Chief Ministers of BJP-ruled states and Union Ministers, will gather at Bhopal’s Lal Parade Ground at 11:30 am. Three-time Ujjain South MLA Mohan Yadav is set to take the oath as Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, potentially signaling the end of the Shivraj Singh Chouhan era in MP politics. The ceremony may also introduce Deputy CMs Jagdish Devda and Rajendra Shukla, though their participation is yet to be confirmed.

Following the Bhopal event, Modi, Shah, and other BJP leaders will head to Raipur, where Vishnu Deo Sai will be sworn in at the Science College Ground starting at 2 pm. The Chhattisgarh council of ministers can have a maximum of 13 ministers, including the CM, considering the Assembly’s strength.

The BJP’s move to appoint relatively inexperienced leaders at the helm in these states suggests more direct control for the central leadership, breaking away from the familiar choices of leaders like Raman Singh, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, and Vasundhara Raje. This generational change in leadership could provide the BJP with a fresh approach ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.

In contrast, the Congress is yet to finalize its leadership teams in the states it lost. As Vishnu Deo Sai takes the oath, the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) in Chhattisgarh will convene a meeting at 2 pm to discuss leadership matters. The Congress faces a crucial decision on whether to stick with the old guard that failed to secure victory in the three key states.

The BJP’s strategic shift has surprised political observers, leaving many in the Congress contemplating whether the party would have taken a similar path had it won these states. The day will also see a tribute paid to the security personnel killed in the 2001 terrorist attack on Parliament, with various legislative matters on the agenda in both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.