Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who was tangled in state politics of Madhya Pradesh for the last two decades, could be headed for the Centre as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on March 2 included him in its first list of candidates for the Lok Sabha elections.
Chouhan, 64, has been named as the candidate from Vidisha, the seat in Madhya Pradesh which he won five times between 1996 and 2005. He subsequently served as the chief minister of Madhya Pradesh for three consecutive terms between 2005 and 2018, and for another term between 2020 and 2023.
Despite the massive incumbency, Chouhan was credited for the BJP's two-third majority victory in the Assembly elections last year. His flagship schemes, including Ladli Laxmi Yojana and Ladli Behna Yojana, were seen as crucial in consolidating the votes of women in favour of the saffron party.
Chouhan, however, was replaced as the chief minister by Mohan Yadav, who earlier served as a member of his cabinet, after the Assembly polls. The decision had raised speculations about Chouhan's political future, with the Opposition alleging that he was being sidelined by the BJP's central leadership.
While a section of analysts saw his exit as the MP chief minister as a snub by the BJP top brass, Chouhan dismissed such conclusions. While addressing the press in Bhopal in December, Chouhan reaffirmed his commitment and loyalty towards the BJP.
“The party has made an ordinary worker like me the chief minister for 18 years. So, where is injustice? BJP has given me everything. It is now payback time for me to reciprocate and give back to the party," he had said on December 12.
If the BJP returns to power following the upcoming elections, there could be a possibility that Chouhan may get inducted into the Union cabinet, analysts said.
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