Madhya Pradesh's representation in the Narendra Modi cabinet has steadily increased to six ministers after the reshuffle carried out on Wednesday.
After the rejig, Gwalior-Chambal and Bundelkhand regions have emerged as the strongest with two union ministers each.
After Rajya Sabha member Jyotiraditya Scindia took oath as a cabinet minister, Gwalior has emerged as a power centre with supporters of Scindia and union agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar flexing muscles.
However, BJP leaders from Malwa, Vindhya and Mahakaushal regions are upset at being left out in the recent reshuffle.
"We have been hopeful that Malwa and Vindhya regions will get due representation in the union cabinet for being the saffron stronghold since the Jana Sangh era. There were speculations that Kailash Vijayavargiya and Rakesh Singh could be added to the new names but the final list disappointed many supporters and dedicated workers," said a senior BJP state functionary pleading anonymity.
Sources in BJP disclosed that after the recent rejig, apart from Scindia and Tomar, there are Virendra Kumar and Prahlaad Singh Patel (both from Bundelkhand region), Faggan Singh Kulaste from tribal belt of Anuppur and Dharmendra Pradhan, a Rajya Sabha member from MP quota.
During the BJP government led by then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee (1999 to 2004), Madhya Pradesh had four senior leaders as ministers in the union cabinet. Former chief minister Sunderlal Patwa, Satyanarayan Jatia, Uma Bharti and Vikram Verma. Earlier, during Vajpayee's 13 day-stint in May 1996, Sartaj Singh was inducted as cabinet minister but he was dropped in 1999.
In Prime Minister Narendra Modi's first government, Sushma Swaraj was the prominent face from Madhya Pradesh from 2014 to 2019 when she was elected from Vidisha Lok Sabha constituency. With new names added to the list, the state's representation will boost up development, growth and public confidence in the saffron government.
"This is true that the state's representation is increasing in the union cabinet but it will help overall growth and create a multi-dimensional effect on Madhya Pradesh. There is no power center in the BJP except the organisation and hence, the party leadership chose as per the requirement, qualification, skill and representation from the state. This is a good sign for the state's overall development and gaining public confidence in the party," BJP state spokesperson, Rajneesh Agrawal told media.
He said in PM Modi's new team, Scindia has been allocated the most challenging Civil Aviation portfolio, which his father Madhavrao Scindia had served from 1991 to 1993 in the then PV Narasimha Rao government. Another minister, Virendra Kumar will work for social justice and empowerment. Both the departments are significant in view of the development and upliftment of marginalised class.
BJP leaders believe that Gwalior-Chambal and Bundelkhand regions will have an added advantage of having more ministers from the state. The Bundelkhand region has four ministers in the Madhya Pradesh cabinet apart from two union ministers. Both the regions bordering Uttar Pradesh have been given preference in view of the forthcoming assembly elections in the neighbouring state.
The Gwalior-Chambal division is also dominant in the BJP state working committee. Out of 402 members included in the committee announced last month, 68 leaders of Scindia camp were included from the region. BJP state president Vishnu Dutt Sharma himself hails from Morena and is a Lok Sabha member from Khajuraho.
(With inputs from agencies)