Couldn't speak against BJP govt in MP, roped-in Congress leaders to raise issues: Sumitra Mahajan

Former Lok Sabha speaker and BJP leader Sumitra Mahajan on Monday confessed that she used to rope in Congress leaders to raise important issues when former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan-led BJP government was in power in the state.

Saying that she could not speak against Chouhan as the BJP government she herself belongs to was in power in Madhya Pradesh then, Mahajan said, "If my government was in power, I could not speak against them but I felt that issues needed to be raised for the welfare of people of Indore. I used to humbly request Jitu Patwari and Tulsi Silawat (Congress leaders) to raise the issue, while also assuring that the situation will be handled and taken to Shivraj (Shivraj Singh Chouhan)."

Mahajan was addressing an event presided by Madhya Pradesh Governor Lalji Tandon here on Sunday.

She asserted that the step was taken keeping in mind the development of Indore. "When our agenda is to develop Indore, we do not keep party politics in mind."

Chouhan served as Madhya Pradesh chief minister between 2005 and 2018. In December last year, after failing to gain a majority in state assembly elections, he resigned from the post.