Shivraj Singh Chouhan leaves for Bhopal in train, first visit since becoming Union minister

New Delhi [India], June 16 (ANI): First time since assuming charge as Union Minister, former Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, Shivraj Singh Chouhan left for Bhopal along with his wife on Sunday morning.

Chauhan who had left Delhi in the morning is likely to reach Bhopal station by Shatabdi Express at 2:15 pm today, where the BJP workers and supporters will be welcoming him.

BJP along with several social and employee organisations has made preparations for his grand welcome at more than 65 places in Bhopal.

The four-time CM was seen interacting with passengers and clicking photographs with children.

As the Bhopal bound train reached Morena Railway Station, hundreds of his supporters who were present there, greeted him with garlands and flowers.

The Union Minister took to social media platform X to inform about his visit to Bhopal. He appreciated the progress of Indian Railways under the Modi government.

“Today I am travelling in ‘Shatabdi Express’ train from New Delhi. The experience of travelling during this time is extremely enjoyable. Under the guidance of the Honorable Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi ji and the vision of Railway Minister Shri @AshwiniVaishnaw ji, Indian Railways is witnessing revolutionary changes in all areas of management and operations. Indian Railways is continuously working to meet the fast paced needs of New India and to make the journey of passengers economical, safe and comfortable,” Chouhan stated.

During the journey, the local BJP workers are also expected to give him a grand welcome at Morena, Gwalior and Bina stations, the party said in a release.

The four-time Madhya Pradesh CM, who assumed charge as the Union Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, said that farmers’ welfare is going on continuously under the Modi government. He added that agriculture and rural development are “interconnected.”

Speaking to ANI, Chouhan said, “Farmer welfare schemes have been continuously going on for 10 years under the leadership of PM Narendra Modi. We have to take those works forward… Rural development and agriculture are both interconnected…Farmers are the priority of the NDA government and PM Narendra Modi…PM Narendra Modi has vowed to make Lakhpati Didis. My life aims to empower women.”

Chouhan will be welcomed by Bhopal BJP workers on platform number 1 of Bhopal railway station. Minister Vishwas Sarang on the 80 feet road from Bajaria, Vidisha MLA Mukesh Tandon on the overbridge, BJP Minority Morcha between Musafir Khana and Masjid, and the Sikh community in the vegetable market, the release stated.

Kurwai MLA Harisingh Sapre, Minister Karan Singh Verma, and Durgesh Soni of Swarn Samaj will also welcome Chouhan. The former CM will also receive a welcome from Sironj MLA Umakant Sharma, Jagdis Yadav of the State Teachers Association, former minister of PWD and Law Rampal Singh and the Gurjar community of Madhya Pradesh.

Chouhan had assumed charge of Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s new Cabinet on June 11. He has also been given the charge of the Ministry of Rural Development.

The senior BJP leader became the Union cabinet minister for the first time in his more than three-decade-long political career.

Notably, Chouhan had emerged victorious from Madhya Pradesh’s Vidisha Lok Sabha seat and had defeated Congress’ Pratapbhanu Sharma with a margin of 8,21,408 votes.

A six-time MP, Chouhan has vast administrative experience and was Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh from 2005 until the 2023 state assembly elections, except for 15 months when the Congress came to power after the 2018 assembly polls.