Days After Meeting RSS Chief, Shivraj Singh Chouhan Mum on His Prospects of Becoming Next BJP President
The Wire Staff
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New Delhi: Days after his reported meeting with Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat, Union Agriculture minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Tuesday (August 26) declined to comment on his prospects of becoming the next national president of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and said that he has "never thought about it."
Amid the current longstanding impasse over naming the next national president of the ruling party, Chouhan’s name has often been discussed as a potential candidate for the top party post. His reported meeting with Bhagwat on Sunday (August 24) has further added fuel to the speculations.
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi has entrusted me with the responsibility of looking after Ministries of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, and Rural Development. At this moment, agriculture is in every pore of my body and farmers are in my breath.I’m working towards increasing the agricultural production, boosting farmers’ income, developing rural areas and expanding the Lakhpati Didi programme,” said Chouhan on Tuesday in response to queries by reporters, reported The Hindu.
“Neither have I ever thought of it, nor has anyone told me. I can’t even think of it. I am the Agriculture and Rural Development Minister. I am doing this work like worship. Serving farmers is worship of God for me and I want to keep doing this worship,” he added, while answering questions on his potential candidature for the BJP president’s post.
Once known for its robust internal democratic structure and conventions, the saffron party is currently struggling to conduct its presidential elections on time, because of which its national executive has allowed incumbent president J.P. Nadda to retain his position well beyond after his term ended in January 2023.
Nadda, who was appointed as the “working president” after the BJP stormed to power in 2019, was formally elected as the national president in January 2020. According to party rules, he could have had two terms but the party’s national executive decided against giving him another term, citing that his responsibilities in the Union government was more important for the party. Yet, the party has failed to elect a new president and has instead deferred the decision by giving multiple extensions to Nadda since January 2023.
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