New Delhi: The BJP has announced nine observers, including three union ministers, to help select Chief Ministers for the three states it won this week - Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Chhattisgarh.
The party said Friday that Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, National General Secretary Vinod Tawde, and Rajya Sabha MP Saroj Pandey would be sent to Rajasthan.
Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and two members of the party's national leadership - President K Laxman and Secretary Asha Lakhra - will be sent to Madhya Pradesh.
Agriculture and Tribal Affairs Minister Arjrun Munda, Ports and Shipping Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, and National General Secretary Dushyant Kumar Gautam will travel to Chhattisgarh.
The observers will oversee meetings of newly-elected MLAs, who will pick candidates that will then be approved by the party's national leaders, in each of the three states.
This follows a 'brainstorming' session Thursday at Prime Minister Narendra Modi's home.
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The meeting was attended by Union Home Minister Amit Shah and party boss JP Nadda, as well as the 12 MPs who contested last month's elections and resigned from Parliament.
Among those who resigned, and met the Prime Minister, are Baba Balaknath and Diya Kumari, both of whom are believed to be in the race to succeed Ashok Gehlot as Rajasthan Chief Minister.
In Madhya Pradesh, one of two ex-union ministers - Narendra Singh Tomar and Prahlad Patel - who contested and won could be given the top post. Both have quit their parliamentary and cabinet berths.
In each of these states the BJP already has a long-serving and iconic leader - Vasundhara Raje in Rajasthan and Shivraj Singh Chouhan in Madhya Pradesh.
READ | BJP MPs Who Won State Polls Quit Parliament, Including Chief Minister Hopefuls
Earlier today sources told NDTV a final decision on this race is unlikely before Sunday.
The BJP routed the Congress in all three states despite exit polls predicting a tight race in Madhya Pradesh and an advantage for the latter party in Chhattisgarh. The only consolation for the Congress was victory in Telangana - a state formed in 2014 when the party-ruled UPA was at the centre.
The new Telangana Chief Minister - Revanth Reddy - was sworn in Thursday, after a brief bout of lobbying by potentials, with ex-Congress boss Sonia Gandhi alongside, and the party has been quick to jab its rival for the delay in naming and installing the leaders of the states it now holds.
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"Less than 24 hours after the election results were out on December 3, the Congress was being criticised in the media... for a so-called 'delay' in appointing a Chief Minister for Telangana. Well, our Chief Minister was announced (the) day before... but three days have gone and the BJP has been unable to announce its chief ministers... why is it not being called out?" Jairam Ramesh tweeted.
The Chief Minister of the fifth state that voted last month - Mizoram - was installed this morning.
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Lalduhoma, head of the fledgling Zoram People's Movement that ousted the ruling Mizo National Front, took his oath of office at the Raj Bhavan in Aizawl.