Former CMs Shivraj Singh Chouhan, ML Khattar begin new innings as Union ministers

Former CMs Shivraj Chouhan and ML Khattar

Former chief ministers Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Manohar Lal Khattar were among the 72 ministers who took oath of office along with Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a grand swearing-in ceremony at the Rashtrapati Bhavan on Sunday.

It is not clear which portfolios will be assigned to the two leaders.

Chouhan won the Lok Sabha elections by a massive margin of 8.1 lakh votes from Madhya Pradesh's Vidisha while Khattar defeated his rival from Haryana's Karnal by 2.3 lakh votes.

Former CM Chouhan played an instrumental role in BJP's landslide victory in the Madhya Pradesh assembly elections in 2023. However, he had to sacrifice the CM post for emerging leader Mohan Yadav.

Similarly, earlier this year, Khattar resigned as the chief minister of Haryana after BJP ally JJP withdrew support from the government.

He was replaced by Nayab Singh Saini, who won the floor test after proving his majority.

BJP's decision to field both the leaders in the Lok Sabha elections set off speculations that they could be included in the new Cabinet if the party retains power.

Chouhan, 64, has won from Vidisha as many as five times between 1996 and 2005. The 2024 election was a sixth victory from the constituency.

Fondly known as "Maama", he subsequently served as the chief minister of Madhya Pradesh for three consecutive terms between 2005 and 2018, and for another term between 2020 and 2023.

Meanwhile, Khattar, 70, is known as a close associate of PM Modi from their earlier days as Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) pracharaks.

He is a two-time MLA from Karnal, won his maiden election in 2014 by a margin of 63,736 votes. In 2019, he managed to hold on to power after the BJP formed a post-poll alliance with Dushyant Chautala-led JJP.

Among the several chief ministers who took oath on Sunday, Chouhan and Khattar are the once who demitted office in the last one year.

Besides them, the other former chief ministers who are part of Modi's ministry are: Rajnath Singh (ex-UP CM), Sarbananda Sonowal (ex-Assam CM), Jitan Ram Manjhi (ex-Bihar CM) and HD Kumaraswamy (ex-Karnataka CM).