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Shivraj Singh Chouhan: A CM isolated by his own party

Despite 17 years in power, Chouhan was never a mass leader and used the treasury to build an image for himself in complete contrast with his own persona.

Published

3 years ago

on

Shivraj Singh Chauhan

By Neeraj Mishra

It has been understood for long that in Rajasthan, Vasundhara Raje Scindia has been an eyesore for the Modi-Shah combine but their absolute disdain for Shivraj Singh Chouhan in Madhya Pradesh has come as a surprise for many.

Chouhan, on his part, has always made a great show of laying the red carpet for PM Modi, whether presenting him with those cheetahs from South Africa on his birthday or copying his Banaras corridor in Ujjain, he has consciously sucked up to the party boss.

What has happened so far is that after an internal assessment, the party bosses has realised that there is a severe anti-incumbency factor against Chouhan and it would be best to get rid of him to save the party. Though this had been in the making since January this year and the Jyotiraditya Scindia camp had been making suitable noises, Chouhan survived through some clever manoeuvres with Nagpur. He also roped in the combined strength of Narendra Tomar, Kailash Vijayvargiya and Prahlad Patel, who were convinced that an outsider like Scindia had to be stopped.

Three months before the elections, however, Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah played a more clever game. They pushed all the aspirants for the CM’s post into the fray so now the BJP has at least half a dozen future BJP chief ministers fighting to win. Apart from Scindia, Tomar, Chouhan, Vijayvargiya and Patel, there is Narottam Mishra and eight-time MLA Gopal Bhargav. The thinking at the top is that each of them has to win in their own bastions and also ensure their region returns the most BJP MLAs.

So where does that leave Chouhan? After being completely sidelined by Modi at all public meetings since September, when the PM even refused to acknowledge his presence on stage, Shivraj has uncharacteristically started making all the noise for himself in his public meetings. He started asking the crowds whether they want to see him back as CM. This has further strained relations within the party.

What most people forget that Chouhan despite 17 years in power was never a mass leader and he used all treasury resources to build an image for himself which is in complete contrast to his own persona. He was always a party worker who tagged along with former chief minister Sunderlal Patwa and RSS strongman Kushabhau Thakre. He was promoted by them for his immense ability to bend as desired. His malleability and political opportunism combined with great luck brought him to the chief minister’s chair without much effort.

Though a four-term Chief Minister, he actually won an election only once on his own. He lost the 2003 elections from Raghogarh but was brave enough to take on the sitting chief minister Digvijaya Singh. Uma Bharati led the BJP to a massive decimation of the Congress but as things turned out, Chouhan became chief minister by 2006 after 2.5 years. He then cleverly worked his way into Congress folds and bluffed then PCC president Suresh Pachauri, another baseless political climber, into sleepwalking in 2008 thinking victory was around the corner. Pachauri is till date accused of striking a deal with Chouhan and his political career never recovered after that loss.

The only election Chouhan won was in 2013 by which time the Congress was in massive disarray and Modi had appeared on the scene by September that year. That carried Chouhan and the BJP through in November 2013, six months ahead of national elections. He went on to lose in 2018 to the Kamal Nath-led Congress but returned to power 15 months later riding on the back of Scindia’s betrayal.  It is believed that he financed the betrayal of 22 MLAs and each was paid Rs 30 crore as revealed by Kamal Nath himself in an interview to Aaj Tak. So, in effect, Chouhan has been the luckiest political leader in modern India.

This is now understood by the Modi-Shah combine. They also realise that out of power, Chouhan has little standing within or without the party. Chouhan will also have too many court cases and corruption allegations to answer once out of his seat. It is unlikely that Kamal Nath, if he wins, will do it but at some point luck always runs out, even if it is 17 years later. That point may be now in Chouhan’s life.

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EC issues notice to Mallikarjun Kharge over terrorist remark against PM Modi

The Election Commission has issued a notice to Mallikarjun Kharge over his remark on PM Modi, asking for a response within 24 hours amid a growing political controversy.

Published

15 hours ago

on

April 22, 2026

By

mallikarjun-kharge

The Election Commission has issued a notice to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge over his controversial remark referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a “terrorist” during an election campaign.

Taking serious note of the statement, the poll body has asked Kharge to submit his response within 24 hours, highlighting concerns over the language used in public campaigning.

BJP complaint triggered action

The development comes after the Bharatiya Janata Party approached the Election Commission, alleging that the remark violated the Model Code of Conduct. The party described the comment as derogatory and sought strict action against the Congress leader.

A delegation of BJP leaders also met the poll panel, stressing that such statements undermine the standards of political discourse during elections.

Kharge’s clarification

Following the controversy, Kharge clarified that his remarks were being misinterpreted. He said he did not intend to call the Prime Minister a terrorist but was referring to what he described as “terrorising” political opponents through the use of central agencies.

Rising political tensions

The episode has further escalated tensions between the ruling party and the opposition amid an ongoing election season. Leaders across the political spectrum have reacted strongly, with criticism and counter-criticism intensifying the debate around campaign rhetoric.

The Election Commission’s intervention underscores its attempt to maintain decorum and enforce campaign norms as political activity intensifies across states.

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Rahul Gandhi’s Bengal poll visit cancelled amid permission row, Congress targets Trinamool

Rahul Gandhi’s Bengal visit was cancelled after authorities did not grant permission, triggering a political row between Congress and Trinamool.

Published

1 day ago

on

April 22, 2026

By

Rahul-Gandhi

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s scheduled visit to West Bengal for election campaigning has been cancelled after the party failed to secure the required administrative permission for public events.

The visit, planned for April 23, was called off after the party waited until the evening for clearance but did not receive approval in time to make necessary arrangements.

Congress leaders have alleged that the local administration, under the influence of the ruling Trinamool Congress, did not grant permission for the rally. The party claimed that despite waiting until around 6 pm, the approval did not come through, forcing them to cancel the programme.

Trinamool response

The Trinamool Congress rejected the allegations, stating that all political parties must follow established procedures for holding public meetings. A party minister said applications must be submitted through the designated system within a specified time frame before events.

The Trinamool also indicated that the state government is currently in a caretaker role during the election period, suggesting that questions regarding permissions fall under the purview of the Election Commission.

Fresh dates likely

Congress sources said the party is still keen for Rahul Gandhi to campaign in the state and may seek fresh permission for a visit on April 25 or 26.

Political context

The development comes amid heightened political activity ahead of the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections, where multiple parties are campaigning aggressively. The Congress and Trinamool Congress, despite being part of broader opposition alignments at the national level, remain direct rivals in the state.

Recent reports also indicate that permission-related issues have affected campaign events in the state, with some rallies being cancelled due to lack of police clearance.

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Kharge’s terrorist remark on PM Modi sparks row, Congress chief issues clarification

Kharge’s controversial remark on PM Modi sparks backlash, with BJP hitting out and the Congress chief later issuing a clarification.

Published

2 days ago

on

April 21, 2026

By

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge faces criticism after controversial remark on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, says statement was misinterpreted

A political controversy erupted after Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge referred to Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a “terrorist” during a public address, triggering sharp reactions from the ruling party.

Following the backlash, Kharge issued a clarification, stating that his remarks were misinterpreted and that he did not intend to label the Prime Minister as a terrorist. He instead accused Modi of using threatening language in political discourse.

The comment quickly drew strong criticism from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), with leaders calling the remark inappropriate and accusing the Congress of lowering political discourse. The exchange reflects heightened tensions between the ruling party and the opposition amid the ongoing election season.

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman also condemned the remark, describing it as “atrocious” and indicative of a new low in political rhetoric.

The incident has further intensified the war of words between the two parties, with both sides trading accusations as campaigning gains momentum.

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