BHOPAL: In a surprise move seven months before the assembly elections, BJP national president Amit Shah on Wednesday appointed MP from Jabalpur Rakesh Singh -- an unlikely candidate and little known face -- as state BJP president and successor of Nandkumar Singh Chouhan . When stalwarts like Narendra Singh Tomar, Kailash Vijayvargiya and several cabinet ministers including Narottam Mishra were in the race, appointment of Rakesh Singh is not just a surprise but came as a shocker for many.A letter from BJP national general secretary Arun Singh reached state BJP organisational general secretary Suhas Bhagat on Wednesday morning which said, "BJP national president Amit Shah has appointed MP Rakesh Singh as president of Madhya Pradesh state unit." The letter also said that outgoing state BJP chief Nandkumar Singh Chouhan has been elevated as a member of the party’s national working committee.Chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Nandkumar Singh Chouhan and Rakesh Singh reached together for the official announcement at the state BJP headquarters after 3 pm. The new state chief was welcomed with garlands, beating of drums and bursting crackers.Outgoing state BJP president Nandkumar Singh Chouhan aka Nandu Bhaiyya said, "Today is the auspicious Akshay Tritiya and destiny has chosen Rakesh Singh to take charge of our party in Madhya Pradesh. The BJP is a party built on an ideology by our patriarchs like Kushabhau Thakre. The organisation gave me the opportunity to work and I honestly tried to do my best. Now I am sure that three times MP Rakesh Singh will take the party forward and we will undoubtedly achieve our target of `ab ki baar 200 paar’ and make government for the fourth time in the state and in 2019 Narendra Modi will be Prime Minister for a second term."Addressing the small gathering of BJP leaders and workers, chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said, "This is the quality of the BJP. As a party worker you may be walking on the road when news can reach that you have been appointed the next state BJP president." He said that Rakesh Singh was preparing for an official tour and night halt elsewhere when he was told that he has to take charge of the state unit as president.The chief minister said thatunder Nandkumar Singh Chouhan the party won 16 civic polls, nine assembly bypolls, Shahdol Lok Sabha bypoll. Giving an explanation for the party’s defeat in the last four Ater, Chitrakoot, Kolaras and Mungaoli assembly bypolls, Chouhan said, "Those seats were not ours but we still reduced their winning margins."Chouhan said that Rakesh Singh as in-charge of Bargi assembly seat in Jabalpur district ensured it transformed from a Congress bastion to a BJP fortress. "Even in Jabalpur Lok sabha seat, the BJP was not very strong. But it was Rakesh Singh’s hardwork that has made it our stronghold." Chouhan warned that 2018 and 2019 elections won’t be easy as the Opposition is united. "It will be BJP versus all. So get ready for the challenge."Addressing BJP workers for the first times as state party chief, Rakesh Singh said, "Giving and taking responsibilities is a regular process in the party. I am very emotional when I think that the central and state leadership including Amit Shah, Ramlal, Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Nandkumar Singh Chouhan thought me suitable for the job. A change of responsibilities may have taken place but the target remains the same, a fourth term government with Shivraj Singh Chouhan as chief minister in 2018 and have the Modi government re-elected in 2019."

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