Shivraj Singh Chouhan to lead BJP in 2018 election: Amit Shah

BHOPAL: Putting to rest all speculations, BJP president Amit Shah announced on Friday that the 2018 assembly polls in Madhya Pradesh will be fought under the leadership of chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

"I must clarify on record that the 2018 assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh will be contested under the leadership of Shivraj Singh Chouhan," Shah said during an informal chat with editors on Friday. Chouhan is in his third term.

The BJP chief's statement comes in the backdrop of intense speculation in political circles in the last few weeks that Chouhan may be invited to join the cabinet at the Centre. Chouhan has always rejected reports that he might move to the Centre. "These are all rumours. I am going to stay here and help the party win the assembly elections in 2018 for the fourth consecutive time," Chouhan had said.

Shah, however, did not comment on whether state BJP chief Nandkumar Singh Chauhan would get an extension. He recently completed three years in office — the usual tenure for state BJP chiefs.

Praising the Shivraj Singh Chouhan government at another event, the BJP president said that the "Bimaru (laggard)" tag has been removed from BJP-ruled states like Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttarakhand.

"We expect no less than 200 seats in the assembly and all 29 seats in the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections," Shah told party workers at the BJP regional head office.

Shah reiterated that he will never be a minister as he wants to continue to work for the party. "My term as a legislator in Gujarat is nearing completion, so I opted for the Rajya Sabha. Now, I will continue working for the party. I will remain in the organisation and will never join the Union cabinet. I am announcing this officially," he said.