Shivraj Singh Chouhan

Shivraj Singh Chouhan (born 5 March 1959; Hindi pronunciation: [ʃɪʋ.ɾaːd͡ʒ sɪŋgʱ t͡ʃɔːɦaːn̪]) is an Indian politician who is serving as the 32nd Minister of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare and 23rd Minister of Rural Development since 11 June 2024. Chauhan was the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh from 2020 to 2023 and previously from 2005 to 2018 and a Member of Legislative Assembly in Madhya Pradesh from Budhni since 2006 to 2024 and previously from 1990 to 1991. He is the longest serving Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh.
He was also the former National Vice President of Bharatiya Janata Party from 2019 to 2020, a member of the Parliamentary Board and a member of the Central Election Committee of the Bharatiya Janata Party. He was the National President of Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha from 2000 to 2002. He was also Member of Lok Sabha representing Vidisha from 1991 to 2005. He was also elected to 18th Lok Sabha from Vidisha. As a leader of the BJP, Chouhan served as General Secretary and President of Madhya Pradesh state unit. He joined the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh in 1972, as a 13-year-old.
He is known for launching various welfare schemes such as the rice at Rs 1 per kg for the poverty-stricken, Sambal scheme that provided women labourers with maternity assistance, free education for poverty-stricken girls, electricity at a fixed rate, Ladli Laxmi Yojana and Beti Bachao Abhiyan. These welfare schemes introduction by Chauhan is attributed for the BJP's electoral victory in 2008, 2013 and 2023 assembly elections.
Shivraj Singh Chouhan was born in a farmer's family to Prem Singh Chouhan and his wife Sundar Bai Chouhan in the Jait village of Sehore district, and belongs to the Kirar community. He is a gold medalist in M. A. (Philosophy) from Barkatullah University Bhopal.
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:
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.
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.