Amid speculation over CM pick, Shivraj Singh Chouhan launches Lok Sabha campaign in Madhya Pradesh

Aditi Tandon

New Delhi, December 6

Unperturbed by ongoing BJP parleys to select a new Chief Minister in Madhya Pradesh, a confident caretaker CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Wednesday launched the Lok Sabha election campaign in the state, vowing to win all 29 segments and ensuring Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s third consecutive win in 2024.

Chouhan wore a self-assured look as he chose Chhindwara, the bastion of Congress veteran Kamal Nath, to launch “Mission 29”, placing himself at the Centre of BJP’s Lok Sabha project in the state.

“Narendra Modi is God’s boon to India. He has been born with the divine mission to transform India into a ‘vishwaguru’ (global leader). We have to make him PM for the third time for which we have to win all 29 seats in MP. Last time, we lost Chhindwara,” Chouhan said, crediting BJP’s landslide win in the state to the accomplishments of the “double-engine government in the state and at the Centre”.

Chouhan spoke amid frenzied chants “Aandhi nahi toofan hai, Shivraj Singh Chouhan hai”, in signals that the 64-year-old is far from being out of CM-ship contention despite saying he was not a contender.

Arriving in Chhindwara to a warm welcome by women who lined up to take selfies with him, Chouhan made self-effacing remarks about CM-ship even as his supporters kept chanting slogans stressing their leader’s support base in MP. “What do I look like to you? CM or a brother? Apan toh bhaiya aur mama hain…Kaahe ka mukhya mantri? Is pad ke aage duniya ke saare pad bekaar hain…. Is pad se bada mere liye aur koi pad nahi hai, swarga ka singhasan bhi bekaar hai. (I am a brother and an uncle and in front of these posts all other positions are meaningless for me),” Chouhan said, placing himself at the centre of MP’s Lok Sabha election campaign while equally donning the mantle of a humble BJP worker who was only interested in his state’s welfare, post or no post.

This subtle posturing contrasts Chouhan with former Rajasthan CM Vasundhara Raje, who is welcoming MLAs for courtesy visits in Jaipur — a move that looks like a show of strength. “What Chouhan is doing is quintessential branding of which he is a master,” said a political strategist.

In Chhindwara, Chouhan flagged the MP win as historic noting, “The BJP has bagged the highest-ever vote share of 48.6 per cent in history. Even in 2003 when we won the highest-ever 173 seats, we won only 42 per cent votes.”

“We put victory in the lap of our party,” the veteran declared, announcing the extension of his Laadli Behna scheme by promising to make every poor woman earn Rs 1 lakh annually. “I will now make didis lakhpati and I am not joking,” he said to heavy applause before going on to enjoy a meal at a BJP worker’s house. Earlier, Chouhan washed the feet of a local woman and her daughter before commencing his speech.

Central observers

The BJP is likely to name central observers for legislature party meetings in MP, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh by Thursday evening, it is learnt. BJP chief JP Nadda met Union Home Minister Amit Shah for discussions on Wednesday.