Sometimes, while waiting for coronation, one ends up in exile, says Shivraj Chouhan

If the 64-year-old veteran leader, who had been Madhya Pradesh CM four times, was disappointed for being overlooked, there was no public display of anger. At that time, Chouhan calling himself a loyal BJP worker seemed to take it well bowing to the diktat of the BJP high command in Delhi. But, while he was addressing a gathering on Tuesday evening at Shahganj town, which falls under the Budhni assembly seat from where he had contested the recent state polls, the mask slipped.

In a fit of emotion, Chouhan told the gathering that sometimes one waits for coronation but one ends up in exile.

While talking about the works started by the previous BJP government, including the Ladli Behna Yojana (for women's welfare), housing scheme for beneficiaries of the Ladli Behna scheme, (which ostensibly played a role in BJP’s win in the state), he said, "The new government will take forward all these works. There must be some big objective somewhere, sometimes by the time 'rajtilak' (coronation) takes place, one even ends up in 'vanvas' (exile)."

However, he quickly added, "But all this happens to fulfil some or the other objective."

When a couple of women from the gathering calling him brother asked him not to “go anywhere” leaving them alone, he promised that he will not go anywhere and will live and die here.

The children and women also fondly referred to him as “Mama” (uncle). In his election campaigns, Chouhan had projected himself as a champion of women’s empowerment. He had even washed the feet of two women, who in turn showered him with petals at an event to release funds under the Ladli Behna project. Under this project, ₹1,250 is transferred into the bank accounts of eligible women from poor families in the state

Chouhan had won the Budhni seat by a margin of more than 1 lakh votes over his Congress rival. While the BJP won 163 out of the 230 assembly seats, the Congress managed to mop up just 66 seats.