‘Able administrator’, ‘OBC leader’ Mohan Yadav is BJP’s pick for Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister

Mohan Yadav, who replaces Shivraj Singh Chouhan, rose through the ABVP ranks in the 1980s

Ujjain MLA Mohan Yadav met Madhya Pradesh Governor Mangubhai Patel at the Raj Bhavan, to stake claim to form the government. (Express)

Mohan Yadav (58), a BJP MLA from Ujjain South, was sworn in as the next Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh on Wednesday. Yadav, who had defeated the rival Congress candidate by a margin of 12,941 votes, will succeed Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who completed four terms as the CM of the state where the BJP registered a resounding victory in the assembly polls.

Ever since the results, speculation has been rife over who the next CM would be – Shivraj, whose ‘laadli behna’ scheme played a key role in the party’s win, or a new face.

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According to Rakesh Singh, the MLA from Jabalpur, it was in fact Chouhan who “kept this proposal for the CM name”.

“He (Yadav) is an able administrator. We expect him to carry forward the party’s development policies. The BJP has asked me to be a state legislator; I will fulfil my duties. I was never in the race myself,” Singh said.

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Yadav, an OBC leader, was elected at a meeting in Bhopal held in the evening in presence of central observers, the BJP said.

“This is for new energy, new hope, new development. In the new India that Modi ji is working for, Madhya Pradesh will lead as a model. The state under new leadership will fulfil his dreams,” BJP general secretary and party MLA Kailash Vijayvargiya told The Indian Express.

“We are very happy with this decision. He comes from the OBC background. This is a moment of pride; he is connected to the ground. We all come from Ujjain and are extremely hopeful he will take the state to new heights,” MLA Govind Singh Rajput said.

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A member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) from Ujjain for three terms, Yadav served as the education minister in the government under Chouhan.

According to the Madhya Pradesh Vidhan Sabha website, he holds a degree in law and has an MBA and a PhD. He was awarded by the President of India in 2011-2012 and 2012-2013 for promoting tourism in the state.

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Yadav’s rise began with the ABVP. In 1982, he became the co-secretary of the student union of Madhav Science College, and became the president in 1984. The same year, he took charge as the city minister of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) in Ujjain, and became the department head in 1986.

In 1988, he was the co-minister of the ABVP’s Madhya Pradesh unit, and a member of the national executive. In 1989-90, he became the minister of the unit, and in 1991-92, the national minister. In 1993-95, he was the co-area in-charge of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in Ujjain city, while 1997, he was a member of the BJP Yuva Morcha’s Madhya Pradesh working committee.

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Also Read | Mohan Yadav, OBC leader considered close to RSS, is BJP’s surprise pick for Madhya Pradesh CM

In 1998, he was a member of the advisory committee of the Western Railway Board. The following year, he was the in-charge of the BJP Yuva Morcha’s Ujjain division. In 2000-2003, he was a member of the working council of Vikram University, Ujjain.

In 2000-2003, he was the city district general secretary of the BJP, and in 2004, he was a member of the BJP’s Madhya Pradesh working committee. The same year, he became a member of the central committee of Singhsthan, Madhya Pradesh. Between 2004 and 2010, he was the chairman of the Ujjain Development Authority (with the rank of state minister).

Since 2008, he has been the district president of Bharat Scouts and Guides. In 2011-2013, he was the chairman of the Madhya Pradesh State Tourism Development Corporation, Bhopal (with the rank of cabinet minister). He is a member of the BJP’s Madhya Pradesh working committee. In 2013-2016, he was the co-convener of the Akhil Bharatiya Sanskritik Prakoshth of the BJP.

Anand Mohan J

Anand Mohan J is an award-winning Senior Correspondent for The Indian Express, currently leading the bureau’s coverage of Madhya Pradesh. With a career spanning over eight years, he has established himself as a trusted voice at the intersection of law, internal security, and public policy. Based in Bhopal, Anand is widely recognized for his authoritative reporting on Maoist insurgency in Central India. In late 2025, he provided exclusive, ground-level coverage of the historic surrender of the final Maoist cadres in Madhya Pradesh, detailing the backchannel negotiations and the "vacuum of command" that led to the state being declared Maoist-free. Expertise and Reporting Beats Anand’s investigative work is characterized by a "Journalism of Courage" approach, holding institutions accountable through deep-dive analysis of several key sectors: National Security & Counter-Insurgency: He is a primary chronicler of the decline of Naxalism in the Central Indian corridor, documenting the tactical shifts of security forces and the rehabilitation of surrendered cadres. Judiciary & Legal Accountability: Drawing on over four years of experience covering Delhi’s trial courts and the Madhya Pradesh High Court, Anand deconstructs complex legal rulings. He has exposed critical institutional lapses, including custodial safety violations and the misuse of the National Security Act (NSA). Wildlife Conservation (Project Cheetah): Anand is a leading reporter on Project Cheetah at Kuno National Park. He has provided extensive coverage of the biological and administrative hurdles of rewilding Namibian and South African cheetahs, as well as high-profile cases of wildlife trafficking. Public Health & Social Safety: His recent investigative work has uncovered systemic negligence in public services, such as contaminated blood transfusions causing HIV infections in thalassemia patients and the human cost of the fertilizer crisis affecting rural farmers. Professional Background Tenure: Joined The Indian Express in 2017. Locations: Transitioned from the high-pressure Delhi City beat (covering courts, police, and labor issues) to his current role as a regional lead in Madhya Pradesh. Notable Investigations: * Exposed the "digital arrest" scams targeting entrepreneurs. Investigated the Bandhavgarh elephant deaths and the impact of kodo millet fungus on local wildlife. Documented the transition of power and welfare schemes (like Ladli Behna) in Madhya Pradesh governance. Digital & Professional Presence Author Profile: Anand Mohan J at Indian Express Twitter handle: @mohanreports ... Read More