It may be recalled that Kamal Nath Government changed procedure of the election of Mayors. During the BJP rule Mayors were elected directly. Kamal Nath changed the process and decided that they should be elected by the Comparators. Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan restored the old procedure. After that reservation process was completed. The moment reservation process was over lobbying for seeking ticket started.

State BJP president V. D. Sharma announced that MLAs will not be allowed to contest for the post of Mayor. A flutter was caused in the BJP when Krishna Gaur, sitting BJP MLA stated that no such blanket ban can be imposed. She recalled that earlier in several cases party men occupied both the posts. Krishn Gaur, who has served one term of Bhopal Mayor again aspires to become Bhopal mayor. Post of Bhopal Mayor has been reserved for woman OBC. Both being woman and OBC she is eligible to contest for Bhopal Mayor. Krishna Gaur happens to be daughter-in-law of former Chief Minister Babulal Gaur.

Corporation elections are also crucial for the Congress. In the last elections BJP captured 13 posts of Mayor. The Congress will try to capture as many posts as possible this time.

Besides forthcoming Corporation elections another event which attracted the attention of political observers was the visit of Jyotiraditya Scindia to Bhopal. The visit itself did not cause surprise but the manner in which it was done gave rise to speculations. It may be mentioned here that many Scindia supporters who lost the by elections are keen that they should be rehabilitated. Some of them who were ministers in Kamal Nath government resigned to facilitate overthrow of Congress government. Some of them also resigned as MLAs. They contested the bypolls but lost. They now want reward for the sacrifice they made . More than a month has passed but nothing has been doen to satisfy them.

Even as the BJP leaders in Madhya Pradesh not confirmed a reorganisation in the state cabinet and appointments in boards and corporations in the near future, Rajya Sabha member Jyotiraditya Scindia’s third visit to the Chief Minister’s house in a month on Friday has hinted that crucial talks for the political appointments in the state has reached its final round.

Scindia reached CM House in a motorcade of 40 vehicles along with a flurry of his loyalists. He held a closed-door meeting with CM Chouhan for almost four hours which reportedly discussed the issue of appointments. The two leaders were joined by BJP state chief VD Sharma and Joint general secretary, Hitanand Sharma, where, sources said, names of the probables were finalised for the political appointments.

“This is a normal visit, We have issues related to developments to discuss. The matter of cabinet expansion and appointments in the boards and corporations is the chief minister’s prerogative and he will take a decision as per his convenience. Preparations for civic polls are also underway,” Scindia told reporters.

The Rajya Sabha member was accompanied by former ministers Tulsiram Silawat, Govind Singh Rajput, Imarti Devi, Aidal Singh Kansana, Giriraj Dantodiya and cabinet minister Mahendra Singh Sisodia, Pradyuman Singh Tomar, OPS Bhadoriya, Hardeep Singh Dang and other leaders. However, they were not part of the meeting with CM Chouhan.

Sources said that Scindia camp is keen to have three post in the state working committee and posts equivalent to a cabinet minister status for his loyalists, Imarti Devi, Giriraj Dandotia and some others. The leaders are learnt to have decided to reinduct former minister Silawat and Rajput in the state cabinet very soon. Kansan’s name was being added to the list of political appointments.

Earlier, Scindia had arrived last fortnight to discuss the appointments with the chief minister. After his visit, CM and the state president Sharma had also discussion with the national leaders in New Delhi to get approval on some names. It was learnt that the BJP has put forth the demand by party’s old guards to assign them a respectable position as they were denied party tickets against Scindia loyalists in the recently concluded bypolls.

After the meeting, Scindia and Chouhan left for Indore to attend a private function while BJP leaders held a crucial meetings in the party’s state head office to finalise names for the state working committee. The meeting was attended by all the five general secretaries and organising general secretary, Suhas Bhagat. (IPA Service)