Bhopal, Jan 28 (IANS): Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav recently overturning a resolution made by of his predecessor Shivraj Singh Chouhan, saying there is “no need to stand up for the Madhya Pradesh Gaan (state anthem)", has stirred a whirlwind of speculation in the political galleries of the state.

Some political observers evaluated Yadav’s step as an attempt to make his own mark in the BJP government, while some others judges it as the first direct attack on his predecessor, and also claimed that there won’t be any surprise if some more popular initiatives taken by ex-CM Chouhan during his over 16-year regime, are scrapped one by one.

On the occasion of Madhya Pradesh's formation day on November 1, 2022, the then CM Chouhan had urged people to take a resolution to stand up in respect for the Madhya Pradesh Gaan – ‘sukh ka daata, sab ka saathi, shubh ka yeh sandesh hai’ - to honour the state.

Chouhan, whom the BJP’s central leadership has not only replaced with a new face as CM, but apparently has also kept him outside the state’s politics after the assembly election held two months back, has been targeting his successor indirectly. Sources told IANS that although Chouhan has been trying to send a message that he was cooperating with his successor, the truth is otherwise.

For instance, while addressing his supporters a couple of weeks back, Chouhan indirectly expressed his disappointment at being sidelined in the state’s politics. He said, “If you are the chief minister, your feet are as adorable as a lotus. But when you are not in power, even your photographs disappear from the hoardings as if you had never existed.”

Later, his son Kartikey Chouhan, while addressing a gathering of his father’s supporters in Budhni, was also heard saying that if needed he would fight against his own party’s government.

Sources said that keeping Chouhan outside the state’s politics by giving no responsibility for the upcoming Lok Sabha election, was a way of diluting Chouhan's power in Madhya Pradesh. Insiders in the MP BJP said that Chouhan, who has already been sidelined, is also likely to disappear from the posters and banners of his popular schemes in the coming days.

Having been promoted as the head of the Council of Ministers from among several senior party colleagues, Mohan Yadav apparently took forward his regime, testing everything that came his way.

As of now, he is totally reliant on the party's central leadership and is just following directions received from New Delhi. To make it easier for Yadav to gain control, the BJP’s top leadership has clipped Chouhan’s wings and very few of his loyalists have been inducted into the cabinet.

A senior BJP leader said CM Mohan Yadav is well aware of Chouhan’s tactics and therefore, he is taking every step meticulously.