Outgoing Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said on Tuesday that he would prefer death rather than ask anything for himself. Chouhan made the comments during a farewell press conference at CM House on Tuesday.
Chouhan’s quip came on a question regarding his decision not to go to Delhi after the results of Madhya Pradesh assembly polls were announced on December 3 and parlays were on for selection of a new chief minister.
The ex-CM, who submitted his resignation to the governor on Monday evening after Mohan Yadav was elected as the leader of the Madhya Pradesh BJP legislative party, addressed a farewell press conference at the CM House to say that his “heart was filled with satisfaction and happiness” at the work he could do during his tenure as CM. To a question on his future role, he reiterated that he worked as a dedicated BJP worker for a nationalistic mission and for serving people, and would do any work given by the party with sincerity. He said that he wasn’t a self-centred person who thought only about his own future.
“Pardon me, but I think it is a very low thought- thinking where will I be. Oh! I was not made (the CM) so it is an injustice to me. What injustice? Don’t you see the other side that the BJP made a simple party worker the chief minister for such a long time? The party has given me everything and now it is my turn to give to the party,” Chouhan said.
The outgoing CM said that he has a lot of things to do to keep him busy in the coming days – in the social, environmental and women’s empowerment fields. He especially mentioned the need for awareness among women for making the proposed scheme of ‘Lakhpati didi’ (more than Rs 1 lakh annual income for women through self-help groups) a reality. “The government will do its work, but I can work on the awareness part,” he said.
Spanning four terms, Chouhan became the longest-serving chief minister of BJP with a tenure of 16 years and 282 days. He was made chief minister on November 29, 2005, after short terms of Uma Bharti and Babulal Gaur as chief ministers following a historic mandate of 173 seats for BJP in 2003.
Starting as a surprise choice with little political prowess, Chouhan rose to become an extremely popular chief minister, especially among the women due to the number of pro-women schemes like Ladli Laxmi, Kanya Vivah and the latest Ladli Behna. Even on Tuesday, before the press conference, a group of women met him at the CM House and were seen crying, making Chouhan also emotional.
During the press conference, Chouhan once again credited the huge win of the BJP in recent assembly polls to Ladli Behna, along with the popularity of PM Narendra Modi, hard work of party workers and welfare schemes of state and central governments. To a question whether his pet scheme ‘Ladli Behna’ will continue, Chouhan said that the BJP government will certainly fulfil its promises in the manifesto. The BJP had promised the continuation of the scheme, but the fulfilment of Chouhan's promise that the monthly assistance would be gradually hiked to Rs 3,000 from the current Rs 1,250 remains questionable.
Chouhan further said that his relationship with people was not that of a CM and constituents, but of a family. “I have a relation of Mama (maternal uncle) and Bhaiya (elder brother) with them. The relation of Mama is that of love and Bhaiya that of trust; I will not let the love and trust to break till my last breath,” he said.
Chouhan enumerated the long journey of development under him saying that it was a journey from ‘Bhat Suar’ (poor quality traveller tempo) to ‘metro train’ with big leaps in women empowerment, agriculture sector, culture and spirituality as well as economic development.
He expressed hope that under Mohan Yadav, the work of development will continue with speed and Madhya Pradesh will reach new heights. “I will continue to support all the endeavours,” he said. He added that he has made just one request to the new chief minister – to make provisions so that he (Chouhan) could continue on his mission to sow a sapling each day.
What roles are possible?
Despite Chouhan’s formal answers to the questions on his new role, speculations are rife on the issue. There are thoughts that Chouhan might be made a union minister and then asked to contest Lok Sabha polls from his old Vidisha constituency. Chouhan is said to have refused such roles on earlier occasions, but the fact that he has been relieved of the CM post can change the equations. There are also speculations that he might be shifted to the organization with a big role like the national president of the party.
What for Patel, Vijayvargiya?
Speculations are also being made about roles for key chief minister contenders like Prahlad Patel and Kailash Vijayvargiya. Patel, an OBC leader, has already resigned his union minister post and might get a powerful portfolio in the Mohan Yadav cabinet, though it might still be below his stature. Vijayvargiya might also become a minister or could also be asked to head the state unit of the party, it is being said.
But like all speculations linked to the BJP, these might also remain mere guesses until the party's top leadership decides on the issue.
