New Delhi: The Prime Minister’s move to make BJP Chief Ministers as Cabinet ministers, however, is being seen as “an attempt to smother any future challenge” to his position in the party. Besides these two saffron regional leaders, Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan is another leader who could potentially claim the number two slot in the party.
Since he is already been embroiled in a scam over admissions at the state level, sources said, if the current spate of attacks on him and his family gets out of control and he fails to wriggle out of the controversy, a compromise could be brokered by shifting Mr Chouhan to New Delhi.
“All three Chief Ministers, who have records of victory in state Assemblies and have credible governance ability, are seen as a future challenge to the hegemonic authority of Mr Modi in the party,” a source in the BJP said.
Currently, because of the age benchmark for BJP leaders to join the Modi government, there is some talent crunch at the central level, leading to few ministers being overburdened with responsibilities.
The PM may expand his council of ministers after the Budget Session of Parliament.
