If Yadav happens to be the first CM in Madhya Pradesh to have announced a Krishna-related pilgrimage circuit, it’s also the first time that a CM from the state celebrated Krishna Janmashtami, which involved the government machinery. The Janmashtami school holiday on August 26 was cancelled and schools were instead instructed to mark the day by sharing treatises associated with Krishna.

On the same day, delivering a speech at Chanderi in Ashok Nagar district, 269 kilometres north of Bhopal, Yadav sent a message to ‘anti-Hindutva forces’ saying “Bharat me rahna hai to Sri Ram Krishna kahna hoga.” (If one wishes to stay in India one will have to recite names of Lord Ram and Lord Krishna)’.

Recently, Yadav offered BJP workers posts in different state committees, which are lined up to be reconstituted, in return for enrolling new members in the party. This comes amid a state BJP drive to enrol at least 1.5 crore new workers for the party.

A senior BJP leader, who asked not to be named, said: “Having spent eight months as chief minister, Mohan Yadav has realised it is time to assert his authority, consolidate his position in the government and the party and also to create a mass following for himself in the state akin to ex-chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan. If the latter had resorted to social welfare schemes like Ladli Laxmi, Ladli Behna etc and calculatedly built his image as Mama (maternal uncle), Yadav with hardly any surplus fund in hand to launch any new social welfare scheme, would have started building his image as a Hindutva icon.”

He added: “Several senior politicians, whose names did the rounds as CM aspirants during assembly elections are ministers in Mohan Yadav’s cabinet, are breathing down his neck. Another challenge to him comes from ex-chief minister Chouhan’s popularity and his ‘Mama’ image built over the years”.

A second BJP leader said: “The CM has started flexing his muscles to build his image as a strong leader. Recently, he chose to nominate himself as district in-charge of Indore, the home turf of urban development minister Kailash Vijayvargiya and ex-Lok Sabha speaker Sumitra Mahajan. Every district has a minister as its in-charge but it's the first time that a CM has put himself in this particular position. His choice of Indore obviously triggered speculations in the party."

A third BJP leader said: “The CM knows well as to under what circumstances he was chosen as the CM and that it didn’t go down well with a section of party leaders and workers. Hence, he took it upon himself to ensure BJP’s victory in Chhindwara, home turf of Congress leader Kamal Nath, in Lok Sabha elections that even Chouhan couldn’t achieve during his tenure. The BJP’s success in the remaining 28 seats also helped him to be seen as the suitable choice for the coveted post of CM.”

Political analyst Girija Shankar said Yadav is positioning himself as a champion of Hindutva. “The CM’s posturing is a clear message that he is surely and steadily trying to strengthen his position in the government and the organisation as a champion of Hindutva. It’s not that ex-chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan didn’t work on Hindutva agenda apart from his popular social welfare schemes but Mohan Yadav is trying to be seen one step ahead of him in the Hindutva context...”

Another political analyst Jayant Singh Tomar said: “Chief minister Mohan Yadav is working on different fronts including Hindutva to rebuild his image so that no one is able to challenge his authority from within or outside the BJP in the state. His elevation to the post of chief minister…has given him a sort of leverage to work on and push his religious agenda.”

Responding to Yadav’s new initiatives, the Congress party said he has nothing substantial to offer to the people of MP.

“The chief minister has nothing to offer to people as far as the state’s development is concerned. Hence, he is working on his divisive agenda to deflect people’s attention from real issues like unemployment, inflation, worsening law and order situation, exam scams and corruption in government machinery,” JP Dhanopia, Congress spokesperson, said.

State BJP secretary Rajneesh Agrawal said Yadav’s Krishna-related initiatives should not be seen as an agenda that’s divisive. “The CM’s plan on Krishna Pathey will boost tourism and create more employment in the state. It should not be seen as a religious agenda but as a part of the state’s development plan. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP believes in cultural nationalism and Pt Deendayal Upadhyay’s concept of antyodaya” (defined by BJP as the welfare of the people at the bottom of the pyramid).