15 years of building trust, delivering promises, and leading with empathy: Shivraj Chouhan

It is a common belief that politics is a game of possibilities. Shivraj Singh Chouhan, the current Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, is one of the few well-respected politicians in India whose political life has mirrored this idea. 

Shivraj Singh Chouhan has become adept at turning challenges into possibilities. It was in November 2005 that he took oath as the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh for the first time. The bar of expectation was quite low, as he was a new face and came from humble beginnings. But in November 2020, when he won the by-elections with a landslide victory, he injected new hope into state politics and became the harbinger of development in Madhya Pradesh.

Ever since taking leadership of the state 15 years ago, CM Chouhan has not only provided direction to the state but has also affected a paradigm shift in the way the office of the Chief Minister operates in Madhya Pradesh. 

In his quest to usher in an era of good governance, CM Chouhan has torn the proverbial veil between the public and the Chief Minister’s office, allowing the common man access to him. He has gone down to the grassroots instead of remaining within the confines of the Office. Needless to say, today, CM Chouhan is one of the most accessible politicians and, perhaps, the only chief minister who has built a strong relationship based on love and respect with the people at the grassroots.

CM Chouhan’s 15 glorious years of good governance in the state is a reverberating testament of the love he has received and the confidence he has instilled in the people. Shivraj Singh Chouhan has become all things to all people - to an old woman, he has provided strength and comfort; to the women, he has been a caring brother; to the children, he has proven to be a loving Mama; and to the youth, he has been a guide for a glorious future. 

His simplicity and ability to connect with the common man has helped build bonds of trust among the people. It is his humility that has brought him back, time and again, to lead this glorious state towards the path of progress and Atmanirbharta.

If you have met CM Chouhan once, then you would know that he is a man who leads with empathy and compassion, which are qualities rarely seen in the political or corporate leaders of the day. It is, therefore, not a coincidence that all the policies made under his leadership bear the imprint of his personality. 

It is the impact of these policies that has helped Madhya Pradesh break the shackles that held her captive as a BIMARU state. Under Shivraj ji’s leadership, it has gone on to register its name as one of leading states contributing to PM Modi’s vision of building an Atmanirbhar Bharat.

CM Chouhan knows the difference between politics and welfare, and he does not mix these two. Whether it is providing relief to the farmer community, securing the rights of the tribal people, protecting the dignity of the women and girls, or providing respect and care to the senior citizens of the state, he has always fulfilled his promises of welfare to a tee. 

Only recently, he fulfilled his promise to standby the farmers again, when under his leadership Madhya Pradesh became the first, and the only, state to organize a historic event in Betul to disburse the biggest corpus of funds in the country for crop insurance amounting to a whopping ₹ 7,618 crore. This amount was deposited directly into the accounts of more than 49 lakh farmers of Madhya Pradesh. He has worked relentlessly towards showing the world that unless the farmers prosper, the idea of holistic prosperity is merely a pipedream.

He has approached the area of policymaking and implementation with the speed of a pioneer, the insight of an innovator, and the compassion of father. This is the reason that after becoming the Chief Minister in November 2005, he vowed to create policies that would address the issues that caused pain and suffering to the untold millions of unheard and neglected voices.

One such issue was female feticide and the abysmal condition of women in the society. Hence, CM Chouhan pioneered the now-famous Ladli Laxmi Yojana. Under his leadership, the MP government implemented this scheme with a laser-sharp focus and efficiency. Ever since the implementation of this scheme, the birth of a girl child in Madhya Pradesh is no more seen as a bad omen, but a reason to celebrate and rejoice. This bold approach to develop and implement an innovative policy has promoted UN SDG 5.1 ‘to end all forms of discrimination against women and girls’ and ushered in a transformation across India. It is a matter of great pride for us because the Chief Ministers of other states like UP, Bihar, Delhi, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, West Bengal, and Goa have borrowed heavily from CM Chouhan’s vision and have adapted the Ladli Laxmi Yojana to empower girls and women in their states, as well.

Truly, CM Chouhan is the embodiment of all good virtues that make a good leader great. But more importantly, he continues to show all of us how these virtues can be effectively used in the service of the citizens of the state. As he completes 15 years of his leadership and service as the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, one can be sure that CM Chouhan would continue to build trust, deliver promises and lead with empathy in the quest to achieve the dream of Atmanirbhar Madhya Pradesh.

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