Meet the next CMs of MP and Chhattisgarh as BJP brass converges for oath-taking today

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend both the oath-taking ceremonies.

The chief minister-elect of Madhya Pradesh, Mohan Yadav, will take oath in Bhopal, while Vishnu Deo Sai will swear in as his Chhattisgarh counterpart in Raipur, on December 13. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to attend both the events.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia will also attend the swearing-in ceremony of Mohan Yadav.  "I will take everyone together and ensure good governance… Chief ministers from 11 states are coming for the swearing-in ceremony," Yadav told news agency ANI.

Also read: A look at BJP's next-gen CM picks in recent years

Ahead of taking oath, Sai told the New Indian Express that his first priority will be to “formulate an action plan to fulfill "Modi ki guarantee" and the pledges of the party’s Sankalp Patra (manifesto) to be accomplished during the next five years.

Let us take a look at the political journey of the two CM-elects.

Mohan Yadav

The prominent OBC leader and three-time MLA was first elected as an MLA in 2013 from Ujjain South. He retained the constituency in 2018 and 2023. In the recent Assembly polls, Yadav won by a margin of 12,941 votes against Congress candidate Chetan Premnarayan Yadav. An LLB, MBA and PhD-holder, Mohan Yadav (58) was the higher education minister of Shivraj Singh Chouhan's cabinet. He has been with the BJP for over 30 years.

According to India Today, Yadav worked extensively in the Sangh on the issue of Bangladeshi infiltration.  He reportedly travelled the country and spoke to people on this issue. Yadav, who also enjoys wrestling, is also considered to be close to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. His appointment can be seen as a strategic move by the BJP to appeal to the Other Backward Classes (OBC) community.

Yadav’s assets have seen a surge from Rs 16 crore in 2013 to Rs 31 crore in 2018. In 2023, his wealth grew to Rs 42 crore, according to the affidavit filed with the Election Commission.  Currently Yadav has not criminal charges against him.

Vishnu Deo Sai

Born in Jashpur, Vishnu Deo Sai was an agriculturist before he entered electoral politics in 1990.  From a village sarpanch, he rose to the rank of the Union minister of state for steel in the first Cabinet of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. His selection is being seen along the lines of Modi's idea of having a tribal leader as the chief minister of the state, where tribals form 32 percent of the population.

In the just-concluded Assembly election, Sai won from Kunkuri constituency defeating UD Minj, the sitting Congress MLA. Sai, 59, is also favoured by Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. He is also said to be close to former Chief Minister Raman Singh. The four-time MP is said to have good organisational capabilities.

Sai's total assets are recorded Rs 3,80,81,550 with Rs 65,81,921 worth liabilities. The Election Commission data also mentions that Deo has no criminal cases against him. He holds cash worth Rs 3,50,000 and has deposits in various banks and financial institutions.