BJP to decide for me, says Shivraj in farewell message

Following the BJP’s win in the state assembly elections on December 3, Chouhan had told reporters he would not go to Delhi amid suspense over the next chief minister

Updated on: Dec 13, 2023, 06:56:03 IST

By Shruti Tomar, Bhopal

Prefer HTon Google

Share via

Copy link

Outgoing Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Tuesday said he will “rather die” than ask something for himself and added he will carry out whatever task the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) assigns him, a day after the party announced Mohan Yadav as the next CM.

Outgoing Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan addresses the media persons during a press conference, at the CM's residence in Bhopal on Tuesday (Agencies)

“I wanted to say humbly that I would rather die that go and ask something for myself. That is why I had said, I will not go to Delhi,” Chouhan told reporters at the CM residence. “When a person is self-centred, he thinks about himself. But the BJP is a mission, there is some work for every worker. I will do whatever work is assigned to me.”

Following the BJP’s win in the state assembly elections on December 3, he had told reporters he would not go to Delhi amid suspense over the next chief minister.

When asked if he would contest the Lok Sabha elections, Chouhan on Tuesday said, “It’s not my job to decide or ask for anything. My party has already given a small party worker like me the chance of serving the state for 18 years as chief minister...”

The four-term CM expressed contentment over his stint in power, and wished well to the new government under Mohan Yadav’s leadership. “I will always support them,” he said.

Earlier in the day, Chouhan met a group of women, who gave him an emotional farewell at his residence.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Shruti Tomar
I have spent over a decade chronicling Madhya Pradesh’s political and social landscape, covering politics, investigative journalism, crime, human interest, and government policy, blending sharp insight with ground‑level depth. I have closely tracked three assembly elections, three Lok Sabha elections, leadership transitions in MP while exposing governance lapses, tender irregularities, and flawed policy rollouts. My reports have revealed gaps in the Cheetah project, irregularities in medical education, rigging in recruitment exams, and loopholes in policy implementation. In crime reporting, I have moved beyond FIRs to map systemic patterns — from organised crime networks and gender‑based violence to custodial accountability — balancing urgency with sensitivity. My journalism is defined by a commitment to human interest. I have profiled the marginalised Bancchda community, documented atrocities against tribal groups, and highlighted efforts to preserve their culture through heritage liquor and revival of spiritual practices. I have reported on farmers struggling with failed MSP promises, giving voice to those often reduced to statistics in policy files. Passionate about field reporting, I have reported on rampant sand mining in Chambal and Narmada, pharmaceutical companies supplying medicines under altered names, the dire condition of schools and colleges, the plight of commercial sex workers, and skewed sex ratios in specific districts. Beyond deadlines, and as HT’s state correspondent and assistant editor in Madhya Pradesh, I engage with ministers, farmers, students, and activists, believing the best policy stories begin with a single human voice. A postgraduate in Journalism and Mass Communication, I also hold a diploma in sports journalism.Read More

Follow India news real-time updates and the latest news covered on Hindustan Times, featuring today's critical updates on Sonam Wangchuk LIVE and more across India.