Six days after the cabinet of Shivraj Singh Chouhan was expanded - from five to 28 - ministries remain undecided. For Chouhan, age 61, this is pointed ignominy. The allocation of portfolios depends on the ask of Jyotiraditya Scindia, 12 years his junior, who pirouetted over to the BJP from the Congress in March, bringing down the government of Kamal Nath and enabling the return of Chouhan for a fourth term as the head of India's largest state.
When the cabinet was expanded - a full three months after Chouhan took oath - Scindia's loyalists accrued 12 posts. Chouhan, or "Mama" (uncle) as he is known in Madhya Pradesh, is in office but not really in power - it's Scindia, who, endorsed by the central BJP, has controlling rights. This could be because, at the time of joining the BJP, he came through on a major KRA - consigning the Congress government in Madhya Pradesh to history on account of 22 legislators moving with him to the BJP. But the stature conferred upon him is also a typical Modi-Shah manoeuvre in that it allows them to cut down to size a tall BJP leader who predates their ascent to the top positions in the party and indeed the country.
Jyotiraditya Scindia and Shivraj Singh Chouhan (File photo)
Also in this category lies B S Yediyurappa, the 77-year-old Chief Minister of Karnataka, like Chouhan, he's subjected to periodic pin pricks by Shah via rivals propped up not very discretely. Though he lost the last election to the Congress in December 2018, Chouhan still has huge ambitions and is very clear that he will not be put out to pasture in a Governor's mansion, say sources close to him. He will need to draw upon his considerable repository of acumen and experience for this term. Sources say the VVIP role allowed to Scindia, newly elected as a BJP member of the Rajya Sabha, is getting to the Chief Minister. He said publicly six days ago that he would assign portfolios yesterday (Tuesday). He has not been able to strike that off his To-Do list since Scindia, who is from the former royal family of Gwalior, is still in active negotiations for assignments for his loyalists.
So, after a temple visit yesterday in Bhopal, Chouhan said he needs more time. 28 ministers await their offices. Scindia supporters are jubilant, saying this establishes his authority. For his part, Scindia has been leading - and occasionally appearing along with Chouhan - at virtual rallies for the by-elections that will determine if the people who exited the Congress with him can now win as BJP candidates. In these rallies, Scindia is replete with theatrical flourish. There are many clap backs for Kamal Nath and Digvijaya Singh, the Congress veterans whose attempt to sideline him pushed him to the BJP. And Bollywood-esque pauses and gestures are frequent, a follow-on to his recent self-congratulatory proclamation, upon winning his Rajya Sabha seat, of "Tiger Abhi Zinda Hai", a line that casts him in the titular role of Salman Khan's blockbuster.
Jyotiraditya Scindia quit the Congress in March
Rivals and supporters say this new avatar is a sign that Scindia is enjoying both his moment of superstardom in his new party and in his home state, where, for years, Kamal Nath and Digvijaya Singh worked to cramp his style. "Why is he channeling Modi in his speeches (now)", asks a Congress leader, "what a difference a defection makes!"
Determined not to be shortchanged after the pole vault to his new party, Scindia has via Shah ensured that he has final veto on portfolio allocation. This makes things tougher for Chouhan who has to figure out a way to reward his own supporters and ensure the BJP cadre is not frustrated at a newcomer and his team getting the big prizes.
Congress leader Shatrughan Sinha tweeted yesterday that the BJP is divided into three camps "Maharaj, Shivraj aur Naraz (those left out)." The early fissures may not make for great PR but sources in the Scindia camp say that having learnt from his experience with the Congress, "where he was emotionally blackmailed by his then leaders. This time around, he wants to drive a hard bargain".
Jyotiraditya Scindia and Amit Shah (File photo)
Chouhan and Scindia, as co-show runners, are not a natural fit. The former has an image of an everyday man, the latter as more showy and that of a royal though one with incontestable sway in large parts of the state. After his recent recovery from Coronavirus, Scindia has incorporated into his signature lines that the BJP is his new parivaar (family).
As with most families in Indian politics, nothing is entirely as it appears. After he lost the 2018 election, Chouhan was offered the position of BJP Vice-President by Shah. Chouhan refused, stating that his heart was in MP politics. He will need more than just heart to thrive, rather than survive, there - even after all these decades of experience.
(Swati Chaturvedi is an author and a journalist who has worked with The Indian Express, The Statesman and The Hindustan Times.)
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