‘Main Shivraj Hoon’: The defiant fight of Shivraj Singh Chouhan

Far from it. He is actively embracing the limelight in a way that few in the Narendra Modi-centric party have dared before. Two weeks ago, the once self-effacing leader, whose humble image helped him into a fourth term in power, was the star of his government’s ‘The Ladli Show’, where he took questions from an awed and enthusiastic young girl – who covered everything from Chouhan the child of a poor family who led an agitation as a seven-year-old; to Chouhan the “gold-medallist” MA student; to Chouhan the CM, loved by the women of the state as their “mama (uncle)” and who cares for them equally; and even Chouhan the singer.

The show’s premiere on the CM’s YouTube channel coincided with the passage of the long-awaited women’s reservation Bill in Parliament.

Chouhan’s campaign, in fact, is almost entirely gambling on his schemes for women to propel him back to power, the latest being a 35% quota for many state government jobs.

His declaration that he was “mahila sashaktikaran ki aawaaz” came on Wednesday, at an event in Burhanpur, where he distributed the fifth instalment of his Ladli Behna Yojana.

Some times, the CM has shed tears while seeking voters; at other times, he has told voters they would miss him when “I am no longer around”.

The image maketh the man

At the Burhanpur event, Chouhan washed the feet of two women, who in turn showered him with petals, as he released the Rs 597-crore instalment of the Ladli Behna Yojana meant for women. Before that, the women at the event did an “aarti” of the CM.

Chouhan said he felt emotional at their respect for him, that God had sent him into the world to empower “behnen (sisters)” and “betiyan (daughters)”, and that he has vowed “never to allow darkness into their lives”.

When there was ruckus from some men at the event, Chouhan admonished them and told them not to disturb as he addressed the women. “I am not saying all this, it’s my inner spirit… Let me get this weight off my heart,” he said.

At The Ladli Show, a constant refrain was Chouhan’s love for his late mother, with the CM turning emotional when talking about her cooking or how proud she was of him.

He portrayed himself as a “family man”, saying he ensures that every year end, he takes a vacation with his wife and sons — though they only visited shrines, he added.

On September 26, chairing a Cabinet meeting, Chouhan reminisced about 2020, when he returned to power after the Congress government fell following defections. “Remember the difficult time… I took oath on March 24, under the shadow of Covid. There was fear in the country… I was the only one; there was no Cabinet.”

On October 1, speaking at a public event in his home district of Sehore, Chouhan stopped midway to say: “You will not get such a brother again. You will remember me when I am gone. I have changed the definition of politics in Madhya Pradesh.”

On October 3, he appeared to address the doubt over him being given a ticket. Inaugurating several development works in Sehore, Chouhan asked the crowd: “Should I contest the elections? Should I fight from here or not?” When the crowd broke into slogans of “Mama, Mama”, he folded his hands in gratitude.

A source close to Chouhan says that he is only carrying forward the PM’s work. “Modiji is our leader and he got a historic law passed to enable women’s reservation. The signal was clear that the BJP is committed to women’s empowerment. Shivraj-ji decided to follow in the footsteps of Modiji… Shivraj-ji has throughout his time launched multiple schemes for women’s empowerment.”

The CM question

Chouhan’s me-and-mine campaign is starker when compared to PM Modi’s rallies for the coming elections, where he has refrained from mentioning local leaders and sought votes in the name of the BJP.

On September 26, at his rally in Bhopal, as Chouhan sat silently by his side after a short speech, Modi gave a long address without mentioning the CM even once.

Word has got around that the BJP is apprehensive about naming Chouhan as its CM face in a state where it has been in power since 2003 – with Chouhan leading it since 2005 – barring the short Congress government from 2018 to 2020. Sources have hinted at a “fatigue factor” for Chouhan, even as Kamal Nath has been running an energetic Congress campaign.

Chouhan has never been too comfortable under the Narendra Modi-Amit Shah dispensation, with it being difficult perhaps for both sides to forget that in 2014, Chouhan was among the BJP CMs spoken of as PM faces of the party. After Modi won that race, Chouhan shed his image of a moderate and took on a harsher Hindutva line.

Chouhan perhaps still hoped that the leadership was just keeping him on a tight leash, before finally going with him; maybe just to ensure that everyone was happy and none too happy.

This hope has also taken a blow. On September 26, the same day as the PM’s Bhopal rally, the BJP released its second list of candidates for the state, including many heavyweights from the Centre. All now are seen as potential CMs.

Sources close to Chouhan admit he was taken by surprise, with one aide saying “it was difficult to understand the list”.

While the BJP has now released 78 names for Madhya Pradesh, Chouhan’s doesn’t figure among them.

Asked about this, a central BJP functionary only says: “No one has said that Chouhan won’t get a ticket. As of today, he is the CM.”

The Congress is enjoying the discomfiture of the state’s longest CM. Addressing a rally in Dhar district Thursday, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said: “Modiji comes here and, nowadays, he is even ashamed of taking the name of Shivraj-ji… He says give me the vote. He is not going to be your CM.”