New Delhi: Amid growing speculation over the
BJP`s prime ministerial candidate for the next general
elections, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan
on Sunday virtually ruled out that he is in this race saying his
priority is working for the state and its progress.
Chouhan, who attended the National Development Council
Meeting here, is passionate about various development schemes
in his state aimed at benefiting women and the girl child,
improving infrastructure especially in rural areas, as well as
reaching out to the weaker sections of society.
Asked during an interview whether he would also
like to work at the Central level for the BJP as Gujarat Chief
Minister Modi and others are reportedly keen on doing, he
replied in the negative.
"No. There is a lot of work to be done in the state. I
would like to work in my state," he said.
When pointed out that Modi is reportedly planning to
throw his hat in the ring for the prime ministerial post, he
said, "People are saying that he wants to come to the
Centre. But Modi is a very capable person. I am a very
ordinary worker."
He insisted that the only priority for him now is Madhya
Pradesh and its progress.
"There are limits and my job is to work in the state. The
party has given me this work and I am also enjoying this," he
said.
He avoided questions on the controversy within the BJP
over who should be the party prime ministerial candidate,
saying it is for the party to decide.
However, he was all praise for his senior colleague L K
Advani, believed to be still in the race for prime minister,
and said he enthusiastically participated in his yatra when it
travelled through Madhya Pradesh.
"Advani is the most prominent leader of this country whom
we all respect. He has an unblemished record. He has devoted
his whole life to the country so there is an added respect for
him in the minds of the people," Chouhan said.
He claimed that the issue of bringing back black money
and providing clean politics and good governance, which are
being espoused by Advani during his yatra, have struck a cord
with the people.
He downplayed the recent controversy in Satna during the
yatra when some BJP leaders tried to bribe journalists to get
favourable coverage.
"That incident has been exaggerated and unduly
publicised. The party is looking into it. One leader has also
been suspended and we are trying to find out the facts.
They (our detractors) did not find anything against us so
they clung on to this," he said, in reply to a question.
Asked if such incidents and the arrest of former
Karnataka chief minister B S Yeddyurappa in a graft case would
affect Advani`s yatra, Chouhan said, "Advani`s aim is clear
and so there is nothing lacking in people`s enthusiasm. The
expectations of people have gone up. They feel the BJP will
take the country out of this mess."
Discussing other issues, including his relations with the
UPA government at the Centre, Chouhan said there was
discrimination against non-UPA states when it came to
disbursement of funds and expediting clearances to projects.
"The prime minister assures us that there will be no
discrimination but this is not adhered to... The saddest part
is that this government is not moving in one direction. The
environment minister will not give us clearance while the coal
minister keeps saying give clearance. We are caught between
`go, no-go`.
"Why don`t they find a way out? One says one thing, the
other says something else. Government is one. Ministers should
be together."
Chouhan insisted that government schemes should not be
imposed on the states from the top and such programmes should
be state-specific.
"What can be implemented in Manipur, Nagaland and Mizoram
cannot be implemented in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka. We
are even thinking of making village-specific schemes in our
state. So more the decentralisation, the better it is," he
said.
He maintained that while 70 per cent of the work is being
done by the state, it gets only 30 per cent of the funds while
Centre does 30 per cent of the work and has 70 per cent of the
funds.
Chouhan claimed Madhya Pradesh had a good law and order
record and is an "island of peace".
Asked about the sensational murder of RTI activist Shehla
Masood in broad daylight, he said, "The CBI is investigating
the case. There is hope that it will catch the culprits,"
adding it was he who demanded a CBI probe into the matter.
"Our government is extending full cooperation. We want
the truth to come out," he said.
Asked about some BJP leaders coming under the needle of
suspicion in the case, he said, "If somebody drags someone`s
name in a case, one cannot do anything. We want the truth to
come out and the culprits should be arrested... Dragging
somebody`s name is not good."
PTI
