Gwalior, Chambal lead in corporation appointments:Upper-caste leaders head 17 bodies; Scindia backers less preferred

Appointments are ongoing in corporations, boards, and authorities in Madhya Pradesh, with around 60 made so far. The organisation and government say the selections aimed to balance caste, regional discontent, and old-new leaders, but the outcome appears otherwise. Analysis shows Gwalior-Chambal received greater preference, while Scindia supporters got fewer opportunities. Upper-caste leaders were accommodated in 17 corporations, boards, and authorities, while SC-ST leaders got roles in 5. One female leader each from the OBC and ST communities was also given responsibility. Experts say the appointments were made with next year’s urban local body and panchayat elections, as well as the 2028 assembly polls, in mind. In some cases, criteria were relaxed to accommodate certain leaders. Read the political equation of appointments in Monday Special Gwalior-Chambal dominates MP political appointments So far, the Gwalior-Chambal division has dominated the appointments, with leaders from the region getting positions in 13 corporations, boards, and authorities. Most are considered supporters of Narendra Singh Tomar, while supporters of Jyotiraditya Scindia did not get the expected preference. Ashok Sharma, seen as close to the Scindia camp, was made chairman of SADA, though he was earlier a supporter of Suresh Pachauri. Sudhir Gupta became vice-chairman; he was earlier in the Indian National Congress before joining Bharatiya Janata Party. After Scindia joined the BJP in 2020, bypolls were held on 16 seats in Gwalior-Chambal. BJP won 9 and lost 7. Leaders who lost were later adjusted by the Shivraj Singh Chouhan government in various corporations and boards. This time, Scindia supporters did not enjoy the same dominance. Sources say Scindia has already lobbied at the central level for his supporters and met Nitin Nabin on April 30. More Brahmin and Thakur leaders in presidential positions Based on caste, the number of Brahmin and Thakur leaders for the post of president is higher. Out of 8 positions, Yadav leaders were made presidents in 4 places. KP Yadav was made the chairman of the Civil Supplies Corporation, who had defeated Scindia from the Guna-Shivpuri seat in 2019. His ticket was cut in 2024. Mahendra Yadav became the administrator of Apex Bank, who was previously the chairman of the Seed Corporation and is considered a Tomar supporter. Vijay Yadav became the chairman of Chitrakoot Development Authority. An attempt was made to consolidate the OBC vote bank by giving representation to the Kushwaha and Baghel communities. Representation for women from OBC and SC categories The number of women in the current appointments is not high. Former MLA Rekha Yadav has been made the chairperson of the State Women’s Commission. In 2008, she became an MLA from BJP. She did not get a ticket in 2018, and in 2023, the Samajwadi Party gave her a ticket from Bijawar, which she withdrew at Shivraj’s behest. Former MLA Sadhna Sthapak has become a member of the Women’s Commission. The quorum of the commission has not been met. Out of a total of 6 posts, there is 1 chairperson and 5 members, of which 4 posts are vacant. Sadhna Gupta’s name is on hold due to more appointments from Gwalior and opposition from Narayan Kushwah. Guddi Adivasi, considered a Tomar supporter, was given the responsibility as the chairperson of the Sahariya Development Authority. Mahakoshal, Bundelkhand, Malwa and Vindhya not given preference Regional imbalance was seen in the appointments. Gwalior-Chambal received greater preference, while in Malwa, appointments were made only from the Ujjain division. Saubhagya Singh, Ramesh Sharma, Om Jain, and Ravindra Solanki got positions and are considered supporters of Mohan Yadav. Pankaj Joshi was also appointed with the preference of the Chief Minister and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. Five leaders from Mahakoshal got positions: Sandeep Jain, Vinod Gotia, Ramlal Rautel, Kailash Jatav, and Rajendra Bharti. In Vindhya, Panchulal Prajapati, Vijay Yadav, and Virendra Goyal were made presidents. From Bundelkhand, Rekha Yadav, Sanjay Nagaich, Prabhudayal Kushwaha, and Mahesh Kewat received appointments. Where the snag occurred: Factionalism and tug-of-war Appointments are stalled in Indore and Bhopal due to a lack of coordination. There was opposition to Hari Narayan Yadav’s name in IDA, and now Sudarshan Gupta is ahead. There was no consensus on Chetan Singh’s name in BDA. The names of aldermen in 16 municipal corporations have been stuck for a month, where there is a tug-of-war between MPs, MLAs, and the organisation. ‘Dual control model’: Coordination between Delhi and Bhopal In these appointments, the state government considered local equations, but the final approval came from the central leadership. Political analysts are calling this the “Dual Control Model” to control dissent in time. Criteria for political appointments It was considered necessary to adjust those who did not get a ticket or whose ticket was cut in the 2023 elections. This includes former ministers, former MLAs, and influential leaders. Those who lost by a small margin are being given positions in corporations and boards to keep them active for 2028. Those who have been working for a long time but have not received a position will be given a place in small or medium boards-corporations. Potential names: Those who are yet to be ‘adjusted’ Many big names in the party might get a place in the next lists. These include Arvind Singh Bhadoria, Kamal Patel, O.P.S. Bhadoria, Lokendra Parashar, and Rajneesh Agrawal. Imarti Devi and Mahendra Singh Sisodia from the Scindia faction also hope for a big post.