Got exiled while waiting for coronation: Shivraj drops hint

Senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader and former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has said sometimes one ends up in vanvas (exile) while waiting for rajtilak (coronation).

After the BJP's landslide victory in the Madhya Pradesh assembly polls held in November 2023, the party chose Mohan Yadav as the chief minister, replacing Chouhan who served as the state's CM for four times.

Chouhan, while addressing a gathering in Shahganj town under his Budhni assembly seat on Tuesday evening, got emotional and said he will continue to be among the people, especially his sisters.

"I will not go anywhere. I will live here and die here," Chouhan said when a couple of women sitting in the audience shouted "bhaiyya (brother), don't go anywhere leaving us alone."

The former chief minister said all the works started by the previous BJP government, including the Ladli Behna Yojana (for women's welfare), housing scheme for beneficiaries of the Ladli Behna scheme, a scheme of one job in each family and promises made to farmers, will be fulfilled by the present government.

"The new government will take forward all these works. There must be some big objective somewhere, sometimes by the time 'rajtilak' takes place, one even ends up in 'vanvas' (exile). But all this happens to fulfil some or the other objective," Chouhan told the gathering.

He said the present ruling dispensation will implement all these schemes as there is BJP's government in the state and not of the Congress.

The former CM also noted that children who were among the audience had come to show their love for "mama" (maternal uncle - as Chouhan is popularly referred).

Earlier, a large number of BJP workers and women welcomed Chouhan on his arrival in Shahganj.

Chouhan won the election from Budhni assembly seat by a margin of more than 1.04 lakh votes over his Congress rival Vikram Mastal.

In the November 2023 state elections, the BJP bagged 163 of the 230 assembly seats, posting a resounding victory and retaining power in the central state.

The opposition Congress was relegated to a distant second spot with victory in 66 assembly segments, while one seat was won by the Bharat Adivasi Party.