Factionalism in MP BJP behind dropping of CM Chouhan from parliamentary board: Congress

With the Bharatiya Janata Party BJP on Wednesday dropping Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan from the partys Parliamentary board, the Congress took a dig saying it was a fallout of factionalism in the state BJP unit.The Congress claimed Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given Chouhan an indication of future developments.

With the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday dropping Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan from the party's Parliamentary board, the Congress took a dig saying it was a fallout of factionalism in the state BJP unit.

The Congress claimed Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given Chouhan an indication of future developments. BJP leaders in Madhya Pradesh, however, refused to comment saying this is a decision of the party's central unit. In a major shake-up, the BJP on Wednesday dropped Union minister Nitin Gadkari and Shivraj Singh Chouhan from its Parliamentary board while bringing in six new members, including Karnataka leader B S Yediyurappa and Iqbal Singh Lalpura, a first Sikh representative.

“The BJP's central party unit has given an indication to Chouhan about the future developments in the state. Due to the intense factionalism in BJP, some BJP members seem to have taken the issue of the poor state of affairs and prevailing corruption in the government to PM Modi, resulting in this development,” MP Congress Committee media cell chairman KK Mishra told PTI. He said BJP seems to have cut Chouhan to size. “Chouhan has been a member of the BJP's parliamentary board for the past several years. It seems PM Modi has given an indication of far-reaching consequences to Chouhan. Maharashtra Deputy CM is there in the BJP Central Election Committee but MP chief minister is missing,” said Mishra. Chouhan has been the BJP's face in MP for the past 17 years. When asked to comment, a state BJP office-bearer said, “I don't have anything to say. This is a decision of the party's central unit”.