BHOPAL (TIP): Kamal Nath on Friday, March 20,  announced his decision to resign as Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister, thereby putting an end to the ongoing political drama and crisis in the state, thereby paving the way for the Opposition BJP to take over.

Recounting the works and accomplishments of his government during its short tenure, while berating the BJP and turncoats for “engineering” the crisis, Nath said he would submit the resignation to the Governor shortly.

Making the announcement minutes before the floor test, Nath said people of the state were watching the machinations and would pay back all those who helped topple the popular government elected by them.

Who will be the next chief minister is on the mind of everyone.

The BJP legislature party will make the decision in a meeting with observers from the Centre, party leaders say, dismissing speculation of “several claimants and differences and factionalism” in the party.

Reports of senior state leader Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s “history of rivalry with Prime Minister Narendra Modi” is the main reason for the speculation.

It is one of the reasons that while the most obvious name appears to be that of three-time chief minister Chouhan, names of other contenders like Gwalior-Chambal leader Narottam Mishra who, along with Chouhan, is among those the Congress has accused of “horse-trading” to dislodge the Kamal Nath government, are also doing the rounds.

Apart from Chouhan and Mishra, others in the fray are Morena MP Narendra Singh Tomar, the Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare and Minister of Rural Development in the Narendra Modi cabinet. Also being mentioned are Leader of Rajya Sabha Thawar Chand Gehlot, Union Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment Prahlad Singh Patel and Kailash Vijayvargiya, the fire spitting BJP old horse from Indore.

(Source: PTI)