Shivraj Singh Chouhan

Shivraj Singh Chouhan (also spelt Chauhan; ; born 5 March 1959) is an Indian politician who is serving as the 32nd Minister of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare and 23rd Minister of Rural Development since 2024. Chouhan served as the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh from 2005 to 2018 and again from 2020 to 2023, and was a member of the Madhya Pradesh Legislative Assembly from Budhni from 2006 to 2024, and earlier from 1990 to 1991. He is the longest-serving Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh.

He served as the Vice President of the Bharatiya Janata Party from 2019 to 2020, and has been a member of the party's Parliamentary Board and Central Election Committee. He was the National President of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha from 2000 to 2002. Chouhan represented the Vidisha Lok Sabha constituency in the Lok Sabha from 1991 to 2005, and was again elected to the 18th Lok Sabha from the same constituency. Within the BJP, he has also served as General Secretary and President of the party’s Madhya Pradesh state unit.

Chouhan joined the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh in 1972, at the age of 13.

He is known for launching various welfare schemes such as rice at ₹1 per kg for the poor, the Sambal scheme providing maternity assistance to women labourers, free education for underprivileged girls, subsidised electricity, the Ladli Laxmi Yojana, and the Beti Bachao Abhiyan. These welfare initiatives introduced by Chouhan are credited with contributing to the BJP's electoral victories in the 2008, 2013, and 2023 state elections. and belongs to the Kirar community. He is a gold medalist in M. A. (Philosophy) from Barkatullah University Bhopal.

Early political career His early political career can be defined as up to the point of his first election to the Lok Sabha. He was elected President of the Model School Students Union in 1975. From 1976 to 1977, he participated in underground movement against the Emergency and was imprisoned in Bhopal Jail for some time.

In his early political career, he has also been: A convener of Akhil Bhartiya Keshariya Vahini from 1991 to 1992 From 1993 to 1996 he was a Member of Committee on Labour and Welfare From 1994 to 2000 he was a Member of Hindi Salahkar Samiti

Political career

Chouhan was first elected to the State Assembly from Budhni Constituency in 1990. He was elected a Member of Parliament for the first time in his career in 10th Lok Sabha from Vidisha Constituency in the following year.

In 1996, he was re-elected to the 11th Lok Sabha (his second term). He was Member of Committee on Urban and Rural Development and Member of Consultative Committee, Ministry of Human Resources Development and Member of Committee on Urban and Rural Development from 1996 to 1997 and Member of Committee on Urban and Rural Development, General Secretary of BJP, Madhya Pradesh from 1997 to 1998.

Again in 1998, he was re-elected to 12th Lok Sabha (third term). He was Member of Committee on Urban and Rural Development and its Sub-Committee on Ministry of Rural Areas and Employment from 1998 to 1999.

His fourth term in the 13th Lok Sabha was from 1999. He was member of Committee on Agriculture from 1999 to 2000, member of Committee on Public Undertakings from 1999 to 2001, and National President of Bhartiya Janta Yuva Morcha from 2000 to 2003. He was also the Chairman of House Committee (Lok Sabha) and National Secretary of Bhartiya Janta Party.

The BJP swept Madhya Pradesh in the Assembly elections of December 2003. At that time, Shivraj Singh contested polls unsuccessfully against the incumbent Chief Minister Digvijaya Singh from Raghogarh.

He was a member of Consultative Committee, ministry of Communications from 2000 to 2004. He was re-elected to 14th Lok Sabha (5th term) in 2004, with a margin of over 260,000 votes. He was member of Committee on Agriculture, member of Joint Committee on Offices of Profit, National General Secretary of BJP, Secretary of Parliamentary Board, and Secretary (Central Election Committee). He also headed Housing Committee of Lok Sabha, and was a member of Committee on Ethics. He was elected to 18th Lok Sabha from Vidisha with a margin of 8,21,408 votes.

Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh

As the state BJP President, Chouhan was chosen to become the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh on 30 November 2005. He contested a by-election from Budhni assembly constituency the following year, winning his old seat by a margin of over 36,000 votes.

In 2008, Chouhan retained his Budhni seat by over 41,000 votes, and with it, led the BJP to a second consecutive victory in the state. On 12 December 2008, he was sworn in for his second term.

On 8 December 2013, Chouhan won Legislative Assembly elections from Budhni by the margin of 84,805 from a candidate of BJP. He was also elected as Chief Minister of MP for a third term.

On 12 December 2018, after failing to gain a majority in the 2018 Madhya Pradesh assembly election, Chouhan resigned as Chief Minister. He once again took oath as the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh on 23 March 2020 after 22 Congress MLA's resigned along with Jyotiraditya Scindia resulting in the collapse of the Kamal Nath government. As of December 2023, Chouhan is the longest-serving chief minister from the Bharatiya Janata Party.

Union cabinet minister and national politics

Election history

Lok Sabha Year ConstituencyParty Votes % OpponentOpponent party Opponent votes % Result Margin % 2024Vidisha 11,16,460 76.70 Pratap Bhanu Sharma 2,95,052 20.27 8,21,408 56.43 2004 4,28,030 65.19 Narbada Prasad Sharma 1,67,304 25.48 2,60,726 39.71 1999 3,60,421 55.65 Jasvant Singh 2,78,024 42.93 82,397 12.72 1998 3,74,406 56.99 Ashutosh Dayal Sharma 2,36,548 36.01 1,37,858 20.98 1996 3,10,580 54.15 Hridaya Mohan Jain 1,34,822 23.51 1,75,758 30.64

Madhya Pradesh Legislative Assembly Year ConstituencyParty Votes % OpponentOpponent party Opponent votes % Result Margin % 2023Budhni 1,64,951 70.7 Vikram Mastal Sharma 59,977 25.71 1,04,974 44.99 2018 1,23,492 60.25 Arun Subhashchandra Yadav 64,493 31.47 58,999 28.78 2013 1,28,730 69.99 Dr. Mahendra Singh Chouhan 43,925 23.88 84,805 46.11 2008 75,828 62.15 Mahesh Singh Rajput 34,303 28.12 41,525 34.03 2006* 66,689 59.07 Raj Kumar Patel 30,164 26.72 36,525 32.35

(*) denotes by-election

Awards and recognition 2011 NDTV Indian of the year award - Leader of New India (development). 2016 Suryoday Manavta Seva Sanman award. Champions of Change (award) 2022.