Chouhan wants Modi as PM but says he can’t run country alone

BJP leader and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said that he believes Narendra Modi will become the prime minister of the country and that he has no interest in competing against his Gujarat counterpart.

“I am limited to Madhya Pradesh. I want to concentrate and work on my state,” Chouhan said on a hangout hosted by Network18 in collaboration with Google. When one audience in the hangout said that most Indians believed the MP model is better than the much-talked about Modi’s Gujarat model, Chouhan said, “Every state has different needs. The models are based on that.”

However, Chouhan said that once Modi becomes the prime minister he will not be able to run the country alone. “He needs a good team. And he will especially need good chief ministers,” he said. Chouhan said this is the reason he wants to focus on being a good chief minister and help the country in his way.

Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan. AFP

When asked about the ‘Hindutava’ agenda that the BJP has and whether the party discriminates against religion, as perceived by most, Chouhan said,”We don’t differentiate on the basis of religion. People are not mere vote bank for us.” The MP chief minister pointed out that many development models have been launched for both Hindus and Muslims. “The BJP is increasingly giving election ticket to leaders from minority community,” he said.

Describing Madhya Pradesh as a ‘miracle state’, Chouhan said that the state is number one on many fronts. He said that MP is a power surplus state and it distributes power to other states too. He also said that the number of BPL families have come down over the last five years. However, Chouhan admitted that the government still need to do a lot for the state. “The quality of education is still poor, we are trying to improve that. I want the next Tata, Birla and Ambani to come up from my state,” he said.

He said despite all efforts by the state government, there’s still a dearth of doctors in Madhya Pradesh. He said that education and building more hospitals are on his to-do list.

Chouhan also said that the government needs to work on improving the infrastructure in the state.

Speaking about the state’s initiatives to tackle surging crime against women in Madhya Pradesh, Chouhan said that there are many initiatives that the government has been taking. He said that the ‘Beti Bachao Andolan’ has been started in Madhya Pradesh to change the mindset of people. “We support 33 percent reservation for women candidates both in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies. This will be included in the BJP manifesto,” he said.

Chouhan, however, played down the embarrassment to BJP following induction of Pramod Muthalik and Sabir Ali. “This is not a trend, it was a one-off incident,” he said. The MP chief minister said that 99 percent Lok Sabha tickets have been given to the old cadre of BJP.

When asked about the recent trouble in the party about Advani’s choice of contesting from Gandhinagar, Chouhan said, “Advani is a senior leader. He is not miffed about the party decision.” He also said that the dissent in BJP over induction of particular leaders has not derailed Modi’s campaign for Lok Sabha elections.

While Chouhan emphasised on transparency in poll funding, when asked whether all accounts of Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi’s rallies will be made public, Chouhan said, “That will be difficult.”

Chouhan wants Modi as PM but says he can’t run country alone