Madhya Pradesh: Future role uncertain, Shivraj continues to display special bond with women

While his future political role remains uncertain, Madhya Pradesh ex-chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan continues to display his special bond with women and girls – indirectly highlighting the key role of his women-centric schemes in the success story of BJP in the state.

After similar scenes in Vidisha last week, women and girls thronged around Chouhan during his visit to Jabalpur enroute Amarkantak on a family break on Wednesday night, too.

The ex-chief minister shared a video of women and girls interacting with him on his social media accounts, showing him affectionately consoling crying women and girls who raised slogans of ‘we want Mamaji’. He responded saying ‘I love you’ to the crowd. He captioned the video ‘bhanje bhanjion ka nishchal prem’ (pure affection of nephew and nieces).

Chouhan has changed his X bio to ‘Bhai aur Mama’ (brother and maternal uncle) after demitting the office of chief minister that he held for close to 17 years. There have been many occasions during the past week since he left the office that common people, mainly women, have met him – crying and saying that they had voted for him (to be the chief minister). There were chants of ‘Mama Mama’ even during the oath taking ceremony of Mohan Yadav as the chief minister in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Though all these incidents and its public sharing by Chouhan indicate his vast popularity in the state, his future role in state politics continues to be uncertain. The ex-CM met party president J.P. Nadda in Delhi on Tuesday, yet there is no indication as to what the party is thinking about him.

Chouhan told the media repeatedly after meeting Nadda that he would be taking up any responsibility or role given by the party as party work to him meant mission for serving people. The only tangible thing he mentioned was that the party will be his tours under the ‘Vikasit Bharat Sankalp Yatra’ and that he might be touring South India for that. To a question, he also said that he would be active in Centre as well as state and would continue to help the new chief minister whenever necessary.

Political watchers feel that these points indicate that the party top leadership wants to move Chouhan out of state politics, though the ex-CM does not want to totally give up his hold on state politics and people that he has cultivated for close to two decades. However, the party might not even want to pit Chouhan in Lok Sabha polls from a Madhya Pradesh constituency and rather keep him engaged in organizational work that keeps him away from the state as much as possible, sources say.

Ladli Behna will not be discontinued: CM

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav said in the state assembly that none of the ongoing welfare scheme including the flagship ‘Ladli Behna’ scheme of financial assistance to women, would be discontinued.

“We have enough funds for all the schemes including Ladli Behna and the subsidized gas cylinder,” Yadav said while replying to a debate on the governor’s address in the house.

The CM’s statement came amidst uproar surrounding the fact that the governor’s address did not mention the ‘Ladli Behna’ scheme and that it mostly was focused on central schemes.

The opposition Congress, led by leader of opposition Umang Singhar, continuously asked the treasury benches whether there was plan to discontinue the scheme that had played a great role in re-election of the ruling party in the recent polls.

Many senior leaders of BJP including Chouhan himself and national general secretary and MLA Kailash Vijayvargiya repeatedly said that no schemes including ‘Ladli Behna’ will be discontinued, but the opposition benches sought reply from the CM on the issue.

There have been strong speculations about discontinuation of the flagship scheme after Chouhan was removed as the chief minister and the reluctance of the senior party leaders to give credit to the scheme for the massive win of the party.