Madhya Pradesh Assembly Election 2018: Ministers let Shivraj Singh Chauhan down; 12 lose seats

Did the BJP lose its crucial state of MP due to the tactical mistake of not denying tickets to some of the prominent ministers? Political observers who have analysed the verdict in greater details point out to this fact that as many as 12 ministers have lost their seats. Some of them had been advised to be dropped by the party cadres considering their unpopularity but chief minister Shivraj Singh reportedly insisted on they being renominated.

Prominent among those include health minister Rustam Singh, a former IPS officer and second time minister from Morena, Education minister Jaibhan Singh Pavaiyya from Gwalior, finance minister Jayant Malaiya from Damoh, revenue minister Uma Shankar Gupta (Bhopal), Women and child development minister Archana Chitnis (Burhanpur) besides a few ministers of state in Shivraj Cabinet. Some of them, like Rustam Singh, lost by huge margins like 20,000 plus votes.

While the BJP had denied ticket to forest minister Dr Gauri Shankar Shejwar, his son was nominated from Sanchi constituency near Bhopal where he also lost. Urban Development Minister Maya Singh (Gwalior) and ailing Harsh Singh were the other two ministers who were dropped by the party.

Finance minister Malaiya was dear to workers and known for his humility but a rebel candidate sealed his fate. He lost by just 798 votes.