'Dedicated to party mission': Shivraj Singh Chouhan denies chief ministerial aspirations

Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh: Following the BJP's impressive victory in Madhya Pradesh, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan expressed his steadfast commitment to the party's mission, emphasising that he has never sought the Chief Minister's post and remains a dedicated party worker.

Addressing the media, Chouhan clarified, "I have never been a contender for the Chief Minister post, nor am I today. As a worker, I will always do whatever work the party gives me with my full dedication, capacity, and honesty." He acknowledged Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the party's leader, expressing pride and happiness in working with him.

Chouhan reiterated his stance, stating, "Today also, I'm not and I won't be a CM contender later also. BJP workers work for a big mission, not for any particular post. Through that mission, whatever work we get, we do it with sincerity."

Election Outcome and Congress's Setback

The election results across four states dealt a significant blow to the Congress, especially in Madhya Pradesh, where the BJP secured a comprehensive victory, overturning nearly two decades of anti-incumbency. The Congress, now out of power in a considerable part of the Hindi heartland, faced setbacks in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh.

Madhya Pradesh, which went to the polls for 230 assembly seats on November 17, witnessed the BJP winning 163 seats, relegating the Congress to the second position with just 66 seats. In the 2018 assembly elections, the Congress had secured 114 seats, while the BJP had won 109 seats.

Madhya Pradesh has been a stronghold for the BJP, except for the 15-month tenure of the Kamal Nath-led government, when the Congress briefly came to power in 2018. In the recent elections, the BJP consciously avoided projecting a chief ministerial face and fought under a collective leadership, while the Congress had Kamal Nath as its CM candidate.