BHOPAL: Two speeches – one by former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and the other by his elder son Kartikey Singh Chouhan – hogged the media spotlight in the BJP-ruled central Indian state on Friday.
Just a month after being replaced as MP CM by Dr Mohan Yadav, the former CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan, while addressing a student conclave in Pune (Maharashtra) said, “I’m the former CM, but not the rejected one.”
Almost 910 km away in Budh ni assembly constituency (Chouhan’s assembly constituency) in Sehore district of central MP, just a few hours later after the ex-CM’s speech in Pune, his elder son Kartikey Singh Chouhan made it clear that he wouldn’t hesitate in taking the warpath against his own government (current BJP government headed by Dr Mohan Yadav) in MP for the cause of the people of his father’s assembly seat.
Addressing the 13th Indian Student Parliament on Friday, Chouhan (the BJP’s longest-serving CM in the country) said, “I’m now addressed as the former chief minister, but I’m not the rejected one. CMs quit their post when people start abusing them for being too long in power. But even after quitting the CM’s post, wherever I go, people shout for me Mama Mama Mama. The love of people is my real wealth.”
Just a few hours later in Budhni, Kartikey said, “It was me and not my father who came to you all to seek votes for him here. Though my father is no longer the state’s CM, I won’t be able to sleep properly at night if I don’t return to be among you, so I’m here to speak before you all. But stay assured that if need arises, Kartikey is ready to fight for your rights.”