The BJP has ended the suspense in Madhya Pradesh with a surprise as the party has named less prominent leader Mohan Yadav as the new Chief Minister of the state. The Chief Ministerial race was dotted up on Monday - December 11 after the party's central observers made an official announcement. While the pick of Mohan Yadav would sow a fresh start for the party in the state, it will also mark an end of Shivraj Singh Chouhan's era. 

Shivraj Singh Chouhan has been the longest serving Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh as he reigned the state for over 16 years. He is also the longest serving BJP chief minister in the state and as the party has won the recently-held assembly polls with a clear majority, Chouhan was also in the Chief Ministerial race, though he claimed that he won't take the baton again. It was apparent on Monday when the party dislodged Chouhan from the race. 

Interestingly, it was Chouhan who proposed the name of Mohan Yadav as his successor and he also accompanied the latter to the Governor's palace to stake claim to form a new government. During the evening hours of Monday, Chouhan had tendered his resignation to the Governor and paved way for 58-year-old Yadav to take over the realm. Though the dramatic events in Madhya Pradesh ended the suspense on who would be the new face of the BJP, it also had sparked a big question on what's next for Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

64-year-old Chouhan is a man with many records and followers. His political graph and expertise would put the BJP in an uphill battle over mitigating his leadership and influence both at the state and national levels. He is among very few leaders in the BJP who enjoys a blend of decades-old popularity and strong political support and though his political future is murky, it is certain that the party won't confine him into a single assembly constituency as just an MLA. 

As the state's longest serving chief minister, Chouhan was instrumental for the economic and party's growth in Madhya Pradesh. He was pivotal in transforming the state as BJP's fortress and now, the party leaders and political observers are predicting about his political future. Some top speculations that are being tossed include whether Chouhan would be offered a position in the BJP's central leadership or he would be offered ticket to contest in the upcoming general elections. 

With his strong political profile, both these speculations look possible and perhaps are the only options available for the party to offer to Chouhan, who can't be a made a cabinet minister of Madhya Pradesh. After tendered his resignation as the Chief Minister, Chouhan now remains as an MLA from Budhni constituency and it is less likely that he would accept any ministerial roles in the cabinet headed by his successor Mohan Yadav, who served under Chouhan in his previous term as the state's higher education minister. 

Besides being the longest-serving Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, Chouhan had a good national profile as he served as an MP for five straight terms from the Vidisha Lok Sabha constituency. He also had served as the BJP's National Yuva Morcha President in 2000 and also as the BJP's National Vice President briefly.

Notably, while most Union Ministers in the Modi cabinet don't have five terms as an MP, Chouhan stands exceptional and if he offered a ticket in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls and ended up triumphing the seat, it is highly likely that he would be inducted into the central cabinet, if Modi wins the general elections for the third consecutive time. As the general elections are about five months away, sources say that Chouhan would now be called to the BJP's central leadership as the party's National Vice President to strengthen the party's base nationally ahead of the general elections.