May 01, 2024 06:06 AM IST
Shivraj Singh Chouhan, 65, former Madhya Pradesh CM and BJP’s Vidisha LS seat candidate spoke on his journey as CM, and his road map for Vidisha LS seat.
Shivraj Singh Chouhan, 65, the former chief minister of Madhya Pradesh, and the BJP candidate from Vidisha Lok Sabha seat spoke about his journey as chief minister, and his road map for Vidisha LS seat. Edited excerpts:
In the last three Lok Sabha elections, you were state chief minister, and in charge of delivering the state for your party. Are you more relaxed this time as there is no such pressure?
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Who wants to be relaxed. This (politics) is a medium to serve the people. I am still holding rallies and doing road shows across the state and in other parts of the country. In the last three Lok Sabha elections, especially the last two, BJP came out with the best results in Madhya Pradesh.
All of us, including chief minister Mohan Yadav are working hard to ensure clean sweep for the BJP (this time). I am confident that this time also the people will vote for the BJP to make Narendra Modi Prime Minister for the third time.
After dip in voting percentage in 12 Lok Sabha constituencies in the state where voting is complete, especially among female voters, there is a sudden demand for you from candidates .
(Laughs)… Yes, candidates want me to hold rallies and roadshows because people love me as their family member. I have a special emotional connection with women , and therefore, in rallies I am requesting them to come out and vote. I am hopeful that voting percentage will increase in the third and the fourth phase in MP. After 12 May (when polling ends in MP), I will hold rallies in Uttar Pradesh and other states too.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said at a rally in Harda that he wants to take you to Delhi. How do you see yourself in Delhi — as a senior party leader or a Union minister?
As I have always said, I am a worker of a disciplined party. I am ready to abide by any responsibility given to me by the party. As of now, I just want to become a member of Parliament.
In the last three months, many Congress leaders and workers have joined the BJP ; even the Congress candidate from Indore joined the BJP. The Congress is calling it undemocratic.
INDIA bloc leaders are behaving like uncultured people. Imposing emergency was undemocratic behaviour. Many leaders of Congress are getting inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modiand are joining the BJP as they are upset with the Congress leadership. They also want to see Modi as PM.
You are holding a Jan Ashirwad Yatra and meeting different social organisations in Vidisha. How you do see this election?
I always believe in giving my 100% in every election to spread our party’s message and popularising schemes among people. Through this I am also getting opportunity of interacting with people of my constituency closely. There is no fight at all in Vidisha or any other parts of the state.
In your speeches you are talking about Ladli Behna, Ladli Laxmi and Kanyadaan Scheme, which were started by you when you were the CM. You are not taking about national issues such as redistribution of wealth and Muslim reservation that is being raised in rallies across MP.
This election is about development done by Modiji and BJP-led state government in MP. Ladli Behna, Ladli Laxmi and Kanyadaan Schemes have proved to be game changers and now people celebrate the birth of girl child and never treat her as burden so we can’t avoid the discussion of these schemes. But we are also informing the people about how Congress the leaders have lost their mind and are talking about destructive things.
You have returned to Vidisha after two decades (after being MP from here from 1991 to 2004). Vidisha comes in the list of aspirational districts in NITI Ayog report. Despite being the bastion of BJP, why does it lack in development?
Whatever development people are seeing in Vidisha has been done by me as an MP or as chief minister of Madhya Pradesh. I have made a roadmap for making Vidisha the most developed place in India.
If you win the Lok Sabha election, will your son Kartikeya Singh Chouhan contest election from (your) Budhni assembly seat?
BJP is a disciplined party. Party leadership will decide who is the suitable candidate who can take development of Budhni forward.
- ABOUT THE AUTHOR
She is a senior reporter based at Bhopal. She covers higher education, social issues, youth affairs, woman and child development related issues, sports and business & industries.
