Responding to a question on a hangout hosted by Network 18 in collaboration with Google, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said that elections should be funded by states. He emphasised on transparency in poll funding and said that the BJP supports that. However, when asked whether all accounts of Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi's rallies will be made public, Chouhan said, "It will difficult."
When asked about the recent trouble in the party about Advani's choice of contesting in a particular constituency, Chouhan said, "Advani is a senior leader. He is not miffed." He also said that the dissent in BJP over induction of particular leaders has not derailed Modi's campaign for Lok Sabha elections.
"We don't differentiate on the basis of religion, people are not mere vote bank for us," says Shivraj Singh Chouhan. Chouhan said that there are many development models launched for both Hindus and Muslims, and the BJP does not differentiate on the basis of religion. Chouhan also said that the BJP is increasingly giving election ticket to leaders from minority community.
Asked about his inclusive development model in Madhya Pradesh and whether it is better than the much-talked about Narendra Modi's Gujarat model, Chouhan said, "Every state has different needs. The models are based on that." Chouhan said that he is not Narendra Modi's competitor and said that he believed Modi will win the elections. "I am limited to Madhya Pradesh. I want to concentrate and work on my state," he added.
Chouhan played down the embarrassment to BJP following induction of Pramod Muthalik and Sabir Ali. "This is not a trend, it was a one-off incident," he said. The MP chief minister said that 99 percent Lok Sabha tickets have been given to the old cadre of BJP.
Speaking about the state's initiatives to tackle surging crime against women in Madhya Pradesh, Chouhan said that there are many initiatives that the government has been taking. He said that the 'Beti Bachao Andolan' has been started in Madhya Pradesh to change the mindset of people. "We support 33 percent reservation for women candidates both in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies." Chouhan said that reservation for women will be included in the BJP manifesto.
Calling Madhya Pradesh a 'miracle state', Chouhan said that the state is number one on many fonts. However, the MP chief minister admitted that there's still a lot of work to do in the state. "We still have to work on the infrastructure," he admitted. Chouhan said there's lack of doctors in the state. He also said that improving the quality of education is on his to-do list.
Chouhan said that the number of BPL families have come down in Madhya Pradesh. He state that the state government is focusing on improving the quality of education. "I want the next Tata and Birla to come up from my state," he said.
Responding to a question on a hangout hosted by Network 18 in collaboration with Google, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said that elections should be funded by states. He emphasised on transparency in poll funding and said that the BJP supports that. However, when asked whether all accounts of Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi's rallies will be made public, Chouhan said, "It will difficult."