The Sushma-Shivraj nexus. Should NaMo be worried?

The Leader of the Opposition teams up with the Madhya Pradesh CM. What's cooking? Illustration: Uttam Ghosh/Rediff.com.

Sushma Swaraj may have been sidelined in the BJP's federal politics, but in Madhya Pradesh, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha is considered first among equals.

Sushmaji, an MP from Vidisha in the state, has teamed up well with Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

She is now lobbying to get Chouhan's missus Sadhna Singh a ticket for the assembly by-election from Vidisha due on April 24.

The by-polls were necessitated when the CM vacated the seat in favour of Budhni after winning both seats in last year's assembly election.

If Sadhnaji gets a nomination and retains Vidisha for the BJP, the Chouhans will be the first couple in the country to grace a state assembly together.

Sushmaji and Shivrajji are known to have a healthy regard for party veteran L K Advani and are less reverential towards Narendra Modi.

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