Chouhan's son of the soil image proves to be winner, again

A carefully cultivated image of family man coupled with simplicity, Shivraj Singh Chouhan led the BJP campaign presenting himself as one among the people promising further development to score an impressive hattrick in Madhya Pradesh assembly election.

54-year-old Chouhan always maintained a low profile and ignored comparisons with high-profile Narendra Modi. He concentrated on Madhya Pradesh, a strategy that appears to have paid huge dividends.

Born on March 5, 1959 in a farmer's family of Prem Singh Chouhan and Sundar Bai Chouhan at village Jait in Sehore district, his leadership skills first came to fore when he was elected as the President of Model Higher Secondary School Student's Union in 1975.

He participated in underground movement against Emergency and was imprisoned in 1976-77 and on several other occasions for various political agitations and public causes.

A volunteer of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) since 1977, Chouhan is a gold medallist in Masters of Philosophy from Barkatulla University, Bhopal.

Chouhan had replaced Babulal Gaur as Chief Minister on November 29, 2005, who had occupied the seat after the fiery sanyasin-politician Uma Bharti resigned in 2004, and has remained in the saddle since them.

But even before that Chouhan had represented the saffron stronghold Vidisha Parliamentary seat five times. He had also served as General Secretary of the BJP and state president of party's Madhya Pradesh unit.

Chouhan's spouse Sadhana Singh, though yet not in active political life, is said to be the persona behind Chouhan's many decisions. Married in 1992, Chouhan has two sons.

Assiduously working on his son of the soil image, the soft-spoken leader easily identified himself with the socio-economic concerns of farmers, villagers and commoners, an image which sticks to him till date.