Lok Sabha Elections 2024: On manifestos, defections & his political future | An interview with Shivraj Singh Chouhan

Shivraj Singh Chouhan speaks to DH’s Amrita Madhukalya about his political future, about the war of manifestoes between BJP and Congress, and why the doors of BJP are 'open for all'.

After serving three terms as the chief minister of Madhya Pradesh, Shivraj Singh Chouhan is back to where he began — the parliamentary constituency of Vidisha from where he was elected to the Lok Sabha for the first time in 1991. He was an MP from this seat when, in 2005, he was made the chief minister. Moving along villages in his constituency, Chouhan tells voters that fate has brought him back here to serve them again. He speaks to DH’s Amrita Madhukalya about his political future, about the war of manifestoes between BJP and Congress, and that the doors of BJP are open for all.

Edited excerpts. 

The Congress says the 2024 election is a fight to save democracy. What do you have to say to that?

The biggest issue is that the people will look for who will be the prime minister; and it will be Narendra Modi again. To make India a developed country, for our agenda of Vikshit Bharat, the people hold a certain kind of loyalty and reverence. There’s no need to recount the amount of work he has done in the last 10 years — whether it is in the field of infrastructure, or in increasing the stature of India globally — all of this has ensured people’s trust in him. 

You had been one of the longest serving BJP CMs, and now you have returned to Vidisha after a long while. How are you convincing them to vote for you? 

Vidisha is like my family — everyone here is a brother, a sister, a niece. They have seen my work in three terms as a chief minister, so there’s a lot less convincing needed. They know my work — they know that Mama will work for their development. 

There’s a war of manifestoes — the BJP says that the Congress is singing the tunes of the Mughals and the Congress says that the BJP is mum on developmental parameters. What do you have to say?

Unfortunately, Rahul Gandhi and the Congress do not understand things fully. They allege that our manifesto does not have anything to offer to the poor — we released the Sankalp Patra in Hindi and English — all he needs to do is read it. Our manifesto talks of Vikshit Bharat, of gareeb kalyan (poverty welfare), kisano ka utthan (empowerment of farmers), mahila shashaktikaran (women empowerment), a roadmap for the future of the youth. The BJP has always delivered on its promises — the abrogation of Article 370 and the consecration of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya have been done. The Congress can promise the moon, but the people know. In fact, the Right to Apprenticeship and the financial support that the Congress is promising in its manifesto have both been implemented here in Madhya Pradesh under my tenure as CM. They have copied from us. 

Do you think that this term the BJP will be able to retain or better its 2019 tally from Madhya Pradesh? And what about the 400 tally for NDA that the BJP has earmarked?

In 2014, we won 27 seats and in 2019, we won 28. This year, without a doubt, we will win all the 29 seats; the BJP will also win the Chhindwara.  As for the 400 tally, it is now the people who are saying ‘ab ki baar, 400 paar’ (this time, let’s cross 400). The atmosphere is such that the BJP alone will cross 370, and NDA, 400. 

Former vice-president Venkaiah Naidu has said that the trend of people leaving their own parties to join others is a disturbing one. But we see so many leaders joining the BJP every other day. What do you have to say about it?

Bharatiya Janata Party is a revolution for nation-building, a platform for social service and a medium to serve the masses. And people who want to work for the country and join the BJP are welcome to our fold. We do not stop anyone.

The Ladli Behna scheme in MP was said to be responsible for reversing the anti-incumbency in 2023, paving the way for a fourth term for BJP. Do you feel such a scheme could be implemented nationally? 

The BJP has presented our vision for the coming five years through our manifesto, the Sankalp Patra, and as a member of the manifesto committee, I along with others will work on making three crore women Lakhpati Didi in the area of women empowerment; the PM has also spoken about it. 

What lies ahead for you?

I do not work for my future, I work for the future of this country, which is now safe in the hands of the BJP. Whatever work the party gives me, I will do it. Our party puts the country first.