Madhya Pradesh polls: How Shivraj Singh Chouhan campaigned tirelessly for the BJP

While the BJP’s thumping victory in Madhya Pradesh may have come as a surprise to many, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan wasn’t one of them.“I had said the BJP will get a comfortable majority and we are getting it,” Chouhan said earlier Sunday.Chouhan gave the credit to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, home minister Amit Shah and other BJP party leadership.“Our Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji is in the hearts of the people of Madhya Pradesh. The state is also in the heart of Modi ji. There is immense faith towards him. He held public meetings here and appealed to the people which has touched the people’s hearts. Such trends are coming as a result of this,” Chouhan said.While Chouhan seemed to be downplaying his role in the victory, the 64-year-old  has spent the past few months tirelessly campaigning for the polls.Let’s take a closer look:A blistering paceAs per Indian Express, Chouhan has maintained a blistering pace since January.The incumbent chief minister from 1 January to 15 November – when campaigning ended – addressed around 1,000 events, as per his team.That works out to approximately three programs per day.Chouhan would begin the day around 8 am and return to his home in Bhopal well after midnight.Then, he’d be up by 6 am – when it would be time to discuss Assembly seats till 8 am.

Prior to elections being announced, Chouhan at spoke 53 women-only rallies in 53 districts.After 9 October, when the model code of conduct took effect, Chouhan upped the ante considerably – speaking at 165 rallies in around three dozen days.As per the newspaper, Chouhan stepped into the spotlight in a manner few have done before since the ascent of Modi.Meanwhile, Chouhan’s rivals in the Congress Kamal Nath and Digvijaya Singh simply could not keep up with his verve.“Kamal Nath looked like he had set the pace with his high-visibility campaign, but towards the end, the duo of Kamal Nath and Digvijaya Singh appeared to have lost steam. While Chouhan was everywhere meeting people, Kamal Nath was more visible heli-hopping for brief visits and giving interviews,” the newspaper noted.Will Chouhan return as CM?That appears to be the question.An article in The Times of India noted that the massive BJP win in Madhya Pradesh solidifies Chouhan’s claim to the CM’s chair – or at least leaves him in pole position to do so.“If he again becomes the chief minister, he will be set to surpass Pawan Chamling of Sikkim, Jyoti Basu of West Bengal and Navin Patnaik of Odisha as the longest-serving CM of India,” the piece noted.A piece in ETVBharat noted that Chouhan kept his flock together and safeguarded that his party members.Chouhan travelled to the far-flung corners of Madhya Pradesh and also stumped for his party candidates, the piece added.

It noted that Chouhan is now the firm favourite to return as chief minister.

A piece in Deccan Herald noted that Chouhan at public events repeatedly polled the public, particularly women voters, if he ought to become the chief minister again.“Political observers believe that the messaging by Chouhan was to alarm party high command that you cannot write him off so easily. Now, with this handsome victory, Chouhan has further insulated his position,” the piece stated.Chouhan himself remained humble in victory.He said the party properly implemented welfare schemes of the “double engine” government (of BJP at the Centre and in the state).He also said the election campaign got the right direction due to the “infalliable strategy” of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, guidance of BJP chief JP Nadda and other leaders and hard work of the party workers.The MP government implemented schemes like the Ladli Lakshmi and Ladli Behna and works have been done for the welfare of farmers, poor people and youth, which also touched the people’s heart, the CM said.Party leaders praise PM, ChouhanParty leaders said an effective booth-level strategy, strong organisational manoeuvre and the popularity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan are among the key factors that turned the tide in favour of the BJP in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly polls.Popularly known as "Mama" (maternal uncle), Chouhan is hugely popular among the masses, especially women and youngsters, while the "MP ke man mein Modi" (Modi in the mind of MP) campaign also helped consolidate the support for the BJP in the state, party leaders said.One of the challenges that the saffron party faced in the run-up to the election was internal factionalism and de-motivated workers. The task was to get everyone working together at the organisational level for the ultimate cause of bringing the BJP back to power in the state, sources in the party said."The leaders drafted in for the state by the central leadership played a crucial role in bringing together the various groups within the party and motivating the workers with their exceptional organisational skills," a source said.The sources said the leaders sent by the party high-command devised a strategy of assigning 14 senior leaders to 14 districts, where they interacted with the local functionaries as well as the elected representatives of the municipal corporations and panchayats.They organised more than 50 meetings, in which Chouhan listened to the grievances and suggestions of the party workers.The sources said the BJP leaders' simple and straightforward behaviour as well as constituency visits and the stay of senior leaders in the state played "a big role" in strengthening the mutual trust and coordination among the workers up to the booth level.An effective poll strategy and campaigns by Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP chief J P Nadda and other leaders created a wave in favour of the party, they added.The "Mera Booth Sabse Majboot" campaign launched by Modi in Bhopal with an eye on the Assembly polls in five states and the 2024 Lok Sabha election, helped the party strengthen its organisation at the booth level, the sources said.Another factor that contributed to the party's grand success in the Madhya Pradesh polls was Chouhan's "charisma".While the announcement of the "Ladli Behna" scheme by the chief minister ahead of the polls helped the BJP consolidate women votes, the sustained campaigns of the party highlighting its "double-engine" government's achievements in Madhya Pradesh served as an effective counter to the Congress's poll pitch, the sources added.With inputs from agencies