An otherwise calm and sober Shivraj Singh Chouhan has shown his harsher side in his fourth term in power, especially after an emphatic victory at the recent Madhya Pradesh assembly by voting, where the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party won 19 seats and the Congress Party won only nine.
The prime minister can be seen exuding greater conviction and affirmation on governance issues, especially when it comes to punishing those who violate the rules.
To begin with, it was always known that Chouhan took a secular path contrary to the inclinations of the BJP’s paternal body, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), but things are different now.
The CM is seen following the Hindutva line most of the time, which was visible in his speeches in which he spoke openly against ‘love jihad’. “It will not allow ‘love jihad’ in MP,” he said at a rally in the Umaria district. Shortly after the state’s interior minister, Narottam Mishra, drafted the Freedom of Religion 2020 bill, which stipulated a five-year prison term for those who engage in conversions and forced marriages and those who assist them.
Subsequently, the jail term was raised to ten years and Chouhan proposed to introduce the bill at the next winter session of the assembly.
When it comes to matters of public order, especially crimes against women, ‘Mama’ Shivraj has been strict with the criminals and the accused. Among the prominent names, Pyare Miyan, a Bhopal-based newspaper owner, faced strict measures, including the dismantling of his illegal properties in the city.
The unauthorized properties of criminals in Bhopal, Indore, Gwalior, Jabalpur and other cities have been razed by local authorities following a nod from the state capital.
The self-proclaimed man god Namdev Das Tyagi, also known as Computer Baba, who was Chouhan’s assistant before 2018 and later joined the leader of Congress, Kamal Nath, had endured the brunt of the consequences, as his illegal properties have been repossessed or demolished. Some of his notorious disciples who flourished in his shadow also saw their real estate structures in Indore being torn down. The seer was also thrown behind bars.
Several corrupt builders against the backdrop of staggering growth in recent years were also hit by the Shivraj Chouhan government in Bhopal and Indore.
Recently, some members of the Iranian community had attacked the police when the police entered their locality to catch a notorious criminal. The administration soon crushed their illegal invasions and released millions of rupees worth of land.
On Friday, Chouhan held a meeting with senior officials in Mantralaya and ordered a gradual offensive against the drug mafia that is finding a foothold in Madhya Pradesh. During the meeting, the prime minister ordered the closure of around 800 hookah rooms in the state.
From December 15 to 22, an anti-drug campaign will be launched in the state. The action comes on the heels of the Center’s Narcotics Control Office sharing a list of 15 MP cities, including Bhopal, Indore, Ujjain, Gwalior and others, which are rapidly emerging as drug hubs.
Taking swift action, the police have cracked down on the drug mafia in Bhopal and Indore and seized large amounts of contraband last week.
During a review of the law and order situation in the state, Chouhan candidly said that public works and transfer posts from now on will have no deal under the table; officers will receive posts only on the basis of their work and performance.
Chouhan criticized senior police officers and tax collectors in a grueling seven-hour review meeting. He criticized several collectors for not paying attention to inquiries sent by the prime minister’s office.
The police superintendent, Neemuch, and the collector, Katni, were removed hours after the meeting because the CM was not satisfied with their performance. Sources said the prime minister also requested a list of IG, DIG and SP that are not performing up to par.
The sources also said that Chouhan plans to provoke a massive administrative surgery in the districts, especially in those districts where the BJP lost in the by-elections.
Often accused of aiding sand mining, the Chouhan government has brought 647 cases of illegal sand miners and 2 million rupees worth of sand has been seized, an official said at the review meeting.
Up to 184 cases were registered against checking fund companies and investors were refunded Rs 17.60 million. 1,711 cases of cybercrime were recorded as of October and an amount of Rs 1.97 million was recovered and returned to victims.
A total of 34 vehicles were seized for illegally bringing in rice and millet from other states. Action was taken against 234 land grabbers in 200 cases, freeing up more than 315 hectares of government land worth Rs 285 crore in the month of November alone. The CM had recently warned that strict measures will be taken if crops from other states are brought to MP and sold here through government acquisitions.
There is also a campaign against the ration mafia in the state and 17 cases have been registered and 22 people have been arrested so far.
Authorities have also cracked down on counterfeit products and adulteration in edible and inedible products in the state.
Meanwhile, Chouhan, who before the by-elections was under immense pressure from supporters and new members of the Scindia group, appears relentless and firm after the elections.
The CM, which was pressured to expand the cabinet and accommodate former Scindia loyalists and supporters, is taking its time. His assertive public comments such as “There is no immediate plan for cabinet expansion,” indicate that he is not buckling under pressure.
In addition to several party veterans who feel marginalized by exclusion from the cabinet, Scindia, a member of Rajya Sabha, has difficulty adjusting to her supporters. The former congressional leader, who was warmly welcomed into the BJP earlier this year, has met with the CM three times in a month for his supporters to take on key responsibilities.
Two of his aides, Govind Singh Rajput and Tulsiram Silawat, who had resigned in October after completing six months without being a board member, are struggling to return to cabinet despite impressive election victories.
Those who lost in the elections, including Imarti Devi, Aidal Singh Kansana and Girraj Dandotiya, have also not been accommodated in boards and corporations.
Others from Scindia camp who await appointments in the party organization are also waiting, as the head of the party’s state unit, VD Sharma, has not yet formed his state executive.
In the Mantralaya, the prime minister has taken the transfer posts with an iron fist, giving his ministers some anxious moments as a large number of his recommendations are piling up. Currently, transfers are prohibited and only possible after an approval from the CM. The sources said MPs, MLAs and high-level party workers are also concerned with Chouhan’s approach, especially ahead of civic elections, when job transfers will not be allowed due to the model code of conduct.
During the previous cabinet meeting at Mantralaya in Bhopal, Chouhan had urged all his ministers to get innovative ideas prepared by their departments and to work on them with their teams. He had asked his ministers to accelerate the works started under the Atmanirbhar MP project and to monitor them constantly.
“Shivraj Singh Chouhan came under immense pressure before the by-elections, but the resounding victory not only helped him grow in stature, but his control over the unity of the party state and the government also increased,” said a political journalist from Bhopal who wished to remain anonymous.
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