I extend my hearty best wishes on the birthday of Shivraj Singh Chouhan, the most admired and charismatic personality of Madhya Pradesh. At the time of the atmosphere of distrust and disappointment in the politics of the country, Shivraj Singh Chouhan gained success to build trust among the common men towards the government and political leaders by his commitment for the development of the state and for transforming the life of poor and the farmers of the state.
In the year 2003, the Bhartiya Janata Party was entrusted with the responsibility to develop the sick state. The common men believe that people had exasperation at its peak towards the Congress during the assembly election of 2003.
There were several reasons for their resentment. No roads, electricity and water made the farmers, employees, traders, industrialists and all disheartened and distressed.The then Chief Minister of the State, Digvijay Singh used to say loudly from the public platform that elections are not won by the development.
The people of the state with immense faith, made the Bhartiya Janta Party victorious with thumping mandate. Out of total 230 seats, the BJP emerged victorious on 173 seats with 44.83 vote percentage and the Congress received 36.38 vote percentage with just 38 seats. No doubt, this was the lowest level of public support, owing to the ire towards the congress.
After Sushri Uma Bharti and Babulal Gaur, Shrivraj Singh Chouhan took the reign of the state, at the time of a situation of dilemma in the political arena of the state. Moreover, there was fear among the BJP workers that how a young person, who do not possess any administrative experience would develop the sick state, bring improvement in the condition of the farmers and poor by overcoming the problems.
How would he handle the law and order of the state, as the incidents of terrorism were found linked in some or other way with the state. Bhind, Morena, Satna were reeling under the terror of dacoits.
Naxalites were active in Balaghat, Mandla and other places. The people who knew Shivraj Singh Chouhan from his student days, were confident that such a strong determined, committed, labourious, honest and a sensitive young person would perform charisma.
Chouhan had crafted a special niche while rendering services as the worker and office bearer of the ABVP and later on as the Member of Legislative Assembly and Member of Parliament. Rendering services on the position of National President of BJP Yuva Morcha proved a turning point in his life. As the National General Secretary of the BJP, he developed a trust and faith in the hearts of all with his hard work and working style.
After becoming chief minister, he put a new picture of administration before the public in period from 2005 to 2008. He succeeded in gaining people’s trust.
Panchayats held for different classes and categories materialised the definition of the democracy – ‘of the people, for the people, by the people’. Till the elections of 2008, Shivraj Singh Chouhan had understood the roots of the problems of the state and had started the process for resolving them.
The BJP had fought the 2003 elections on development issue and it was probably first time in the history of politics in the country that political party had dared to take the same issue of development, thereby creating history. Promises of 2003 its execution and taking the issue of development, BJP fought the next elections under the leadership of Shivraj Singh Chouhan. And, it got the people’s trust with 143 seats and 36.81 percent vote. The Congress got 71 seats and 36.04 percent vote.
The Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan got full tenure of 2008 and 2013 and state took off for development. Farmer welfare, women welfare, many welfare works for relief to poor and Krishi Karman Award for agriculture production, successful investors summit, like programmes added new wings to the development and the state created a new history in the country by works for farmer, poor and woman welfare.
In 2013, the confident BJP joined the election battle under the leadership of Shivraj Singh Chouhan taking the issue of development and agenda of poor welfare. It succeeded in forming the government consecutively third time with 165 seats and 44.87 percent votes.
Shivraj Ji began working with new energy and confidence and has been busy in fulfilling election promises and making the state the leading one. The state is moving with fast pace and confidence. Standard of life of poor is improving thanks to farmer welfare, poor welfare and historic work for woman and child welfare, decisions taking thanks to sensitive approach of Shivraj Ji. The Chief Minister will surely get success in fulfilling resolution to double farmer’s income.
The BJP got success in nine assembly by-polls, out of 14 held between 2013 and 2018. The Congress could not win any BJP’s seat. In recently held by-polls, the Congress succeeded in securing its seat in Ater, Chitrakoot, Kolaras and Mungavali but, the BJP has increased in its vote share of 2013. BJP’s vote share has increased considerably even the BJP could not win all the four seats which the Congress had won in 2013 even after the waves in favour of the BJP. Some intellectuals are attributing it as anti-incumbency.
However, they are ignoring the facts. The reality is that the BJP’s vote and number of seats has increased in by-polls. BSP does not contest by-polls and the Congress is only which gets its mileage. We must bear in mind that the Congress received 31.61 percent vote share in 2003 elections, – the lowest one, amid strong wave of resentment against it.
Ladli Lakshmi Yojana, Mukhyamantri Kanyadan and Nikah Yojana, Mukhyamantri Meghavi Chhatra Yojana, Annapurna Yojana, Bhavantar Yojana have gained popularity across the country. Many states are following Madhya Pradesh. The credit goes to Shivraj Singh Chouhan to frame laws for guarantee for housing for every adult and capital punishment in cases of rape with minor.
State government is creating a new history of development in the state under the leadership of Shivraj Singh Chouhan surely and working with resolution for upliftment of poor and farmer welfare. Certainly, the BJP will succeed in making the state no. 1 in the country, securing unprecedented victory in 2018 assembly elections, under the leadership of Shivraj Singh Chouhan. Congratulations to Shivraj Singh Chouhan on his birthday. I wish him good health.
(Writer is a Revenue, Science and Technology Minister)
