Bhopal:
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, seen to be vying with Narendra Modi for first spot among the BJP's best Chief Ministers, shared today who he really wants his state to compete with - China.
Mr Chouhan's speech at a function to mark the BJP's 33rd foundation day sounded quite like a Modi address, celebrating MPs growth rate and laying claim to being the number 1 state in the country.
"We are growing at 10.2 per cent which is higher than the entire country. The country's growth rate is only six per cent... I would want Madhya Pradesh to compete with China's development," Mr Chouhan said, adding, "People used to mock me when I used to say we will make Madhya Pradesh the No. 1 state. They felt it was impossible," he added.
Mr Chouhan will make a bid to win a third straight term as Chief Minister when Madhya Pradesh votes for a new assembly in November this year and his pitch will be based on good governance.
He had announced uninterrupted power supply in state capital Bhopal earlier this week.
Last weekend, the MP Chief Minister was overlooked for inclusion in the BJP's parliamentary board, a select group of 12 top leaders that makes the most crucial decisions in the party. Mr Modi found place in the panel as the only Chief Minister.
Mr Chouhan's candidacy was reportedly backed by senior leaders like LK Advani and Sushma Swaraj, but he was eventually included in no panel in the party's big overhaul, which seemed designed to assign a special place in the party to Mr Modi, who is widely expected to lead the BJP in the 2014 general election, though the party is yet to say as much. The Gujarat CM was also appointed to the party's election committee and many of his supporters were given key assignments.