Only I am responsible for our defeat in MP: Shivraj Singh Chouhan

Bhopal: Shivraj Singh Chouhan's 15-year-tenure as chief minister of Madhya Pradesh came to an end on Wednesday after BJP lost out to Congress in a tense and topsy-turvey battle.

Speaking to media persons on a day when he resigned from his post of CM, Shivraj thanked his party workers and leadership for their support, saying that the responsibility of defeat lies solely with him. "I respect the mandate of the people, it was indeed a close fight. I am sorry if I have upset a few people of the state and the responsibility of the defeat lies completely with me," he said. "The support from party workers who worked tirelessly and from the party leadership was exceptional but despite this if we lost, I cannot shy away from the responsibility of the final outcome."

Shivraj also assured that he would continue to support the welfare and development of MP. "Winning and losing is a part of elections. I will continue to look out for the state and its people. It is my turn for chowkidaari and if I see something going wrong, will definitely point it out."

Shivraj has been a prominent face for BJP, not just in MP but in national politics as well. He, however, made no comment on whether he would look at playing a more active role in national politics ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Instead, he said he called Kamal Nath and congratulated him for Congress' win.

For the Congress, the result would be a massive shot in the arm although local reports suggest there could some factional divide within the party because Kamal Nath and Jyotiraditya Scindia are being propped by up their respective supporters as the CM's face.