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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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Centre ready for NEET debate in Parliament, Rahul Gandhi’s paper leak claims to be investigated: JP Nadda

Union Health Minister JP Nadda said the government is prepared for a detailed Parliament debate on the NEET paper leak issue and will investigate Rahul Gandhi’s allegations of multiple paper leaks over the last decade.

Published

20 hours ago

on

July 22, 2026

By

JP-Nadda

The Centre has reiterated its willingness to hold a detailed discussion on the NEET paper leak issue in Parliament, with Union Health Minister JP Nadda saying the government is prepared for a debate of any duration. He also said Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi’s allegations of around 152 examination paper leaks over the past 10 years would be investigated.

Government open to debate of any duration

Speaking to the media on Wednesday, JP Nadda said the government has consistently supported a discussion on the paper leak issue in Parliament. He stated that the Opposition could decide the duration of the debate through the Business Advisory Committee, whether it is a short discussion or one extending to 12 or even 18 hours.

Nadda, who is also the Leader of the House in the Rajya Sabha, said the government remains fully prepared for a comprehensive discussion and urged the Opposition not to shift its position on the issue.

Rahul Gandhi’s paper leak allegations to be examined

Responding to Rahul Gandhi’s recent presentation, Nadda said the Congress leader referred to nearly 150 paper leak incidents over the last decade. He described those claims as a matter that requires investigation and said the government would examine the allegations before presenting the facts to the public.

According to Nadda, a responsible government is committed to verifying such claims and ensuring that the truth is established through due investigation.

Calls for a united approach on NEET issue

Highlighting the significance of the matter, Nadda said the future of students should remain the top priority for both the government and the Opposition. He appealed to political parties to work together in finding a long-term solution to prevent examination irregularities.

He added that safeguarding the interests of students is a shared responsibility and called for constructive cooperation instead of political differences.

Nadda on meeting with CJP representatives

The Union Minister also spoke about his recent interaction with representatives of the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP). He said the meeting was held in a cordial atmosphere, during which the government listened to their concerns and asked them to submit their suggestions in writing.

Nadda said the government remains open to further discussions whenever required and clarified that no meeting with the group was held on Wednesday.

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Opposition demands Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation before NEET discussion in Parliament

The Opposition has demanded Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation before any discussion on the NEET paper leak in Parliament, while the Centre says it is fully prepared for a debate.

Published

22 hours ago

on

July 22, 2026

By

The political deadlock over the NEET paper leak issue continued in Parliament on Wednesday, with Opposition parties demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan before any discussion takes place. The Centre, however, maintained that it is fully prepared to debate the matter during the ongoing Monsoon Session.

Leading the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said there could be no fair discussion on the NEET issue unless Dharmendra Pradhan resigned from his post.

Centre rejects Opposition’s condition

Responding to the Opposition’s demand, Leader of the House JP Nadda said the government was not avoiding a discussion and remained open to debating all issues, including the alleged NEET paper leak.

He said the government had already made its position clear and described it as transparent, adding that it was willing to discuss every matter raised by the Opposition.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju also reiterated that the Centre had been ready for discussions since the beginning of the Monsoon Session. He said the government had consistently conveyed its willingness to debate the NEET issue and other important matters.

Rijiju added that if the Opposition was looking for reasons to avoid a discussion, it would not be appropriate. According to him, the procedure and timing of the debate would be decided after consultations among all parties under the Chair’s guidance.

Opposition maintains resignation demand

The government also informed the House that its willingness to discuss the issue had been communicated to Congress leaders and representatives of other political parties.

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav echoed the Opposition’s stand, saying students were seeking the resignation of the Education Minister before any discussion. He asserted that the resignation should come first, followed by parliamentary debate on the issue.

Akhilesh Yadav also joined Rahul Gandhi and other Opposition MPs during a march towards the Prime Minister’s residence in New Delhi on Tuesday as part of the protest over the NEET controversy.

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Dharmendra Pradhan accuses Rahul Gandhi of exploiting students over NEET protest

Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan accused Rahul Gandhi and the Congress of exploiting students during the NEET protest, while reiterating the Centre’s commitment to discussing the issue in Parliament and implementing reforms.

Published

1 day ago

on

July 22, 2026

By

Dharmendra Pradhan

Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has criticised Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over the protest held outside Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s residence on Tuesday, accusing the Opposition of using students for political purposes amid the controversy over the NEET paper leak and other examination-related issues.

Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and several Congress leaders and workers staged the protest, raising concerns over the alleged NEET paper leak and other examination leaks. The demonstration also highlighted the alleged police action against students who participated in a march to Parliament organised by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) a day earlier.

The protest continued until the evening before police detained Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and other leaders. They were later released the same night.

Pradhan says Parliament discussion was offered

Responding to the protest, Mr Pradhan alleged that the Congress was attempting to create disruption during the Monsoon Session of Parliament by turning students into political tools. He also claimed the demonstration violated security protocols and caused inconvenience to the public.

The minister referred to remarks made by Union Minister Jitendra Singh, who had earlier said he spoke with Rahul Gandhi during the protest. According to Mr Singh, the Centre agreed to hold a discussion in Parliament on the paper leak issue, but Rahul Gandhi later added another demand after that assurance.

Mr Pradhan said the government had already expressed its willingness to hold a comprehensive discussion on the issue in Parliament, but alleged that the Congress preferred political confrontation over democratic debate.

Centre reiterates commitment to students

The Education Minister said the government remains committed to discussing the NEET controversy and addressing the concerns of students and young people through Parliament.

In a post on X, Mr Pradhan said students deserve certainty, solutions and accountability rather than political confrontation. He added that the Centre remains committed to delivering reforms and answering students’ concerns while working to strengthen the examination system.

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