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

December 8, 2013

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Bhopal, Dec 8: 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.

Chouhan was first elected to the state assembly from Budhni constituency in 1990. He was elected a member of Parliament for the first time in 10th Lok Sabha from Vidisha constituency the following year.

In 1996, he was re-elected to the 11th Lok Sabha. In 1998, he was re-elected to 12th Lok Sabha for the third term, which he repeated in the in 13th Lok Sabha election in 1999 and 14th Lok Sabha in 2004. He won his fifth Lok Sabha election with an impressive margin of over 260,000 votes.

In this period, he was a member in various Parliamentary Standing Committees on Urban Development, Rural Development, Human Resource Development and others.

He also served has National President of Bhartiya Janata Yuva Morcha from 2000 to 2003 and National Secretary of Bhartiya Janta Party.

His fortunes, were, however, set to take another direction two years after the BJP led by Uma Bharti swept Madhya Pradesh assembly elections in 2003.

At that time, Chouhan contested polls unsuccessfully against the incumbent Chief Minister Digvijay Singh from Raghogarh.

Soon Bharti resigned and Gaur became Chief Minister in 2004 only to be replaced the next year. As the state BJP President, Chouhan was chosen as the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh on November 30th, 2005.

He contested a bye-election from Budhni assembly constituency the following year, winning his old seat by a margin of over 36,000 votes. He retained the seat as well as the Chief Ministership.

"In the last ten years, I have ruled the state not as Chief Minister but as you brother, son and maternal uncle (Mama)," was the favourite punchline of Chouhan as he criss-crossed the the ravines of Chambal or the crowds of cities in Bhopal, Gwalior and Indore this assembly election.

For the critics, however, the Chief Minister has little control over his own ministers, many of whom are much senior to him in politics and has direct connect with RSS, the ideological master of the BJP. They say the CM is "gentle but not an effective administrator".

It's personal rapport of the Chief Minister, which seems to be his strength. A famous beetle shop owner Kamal Kumar in Vidisha, the second seat from which he contested this time, proudly flaunts a photo of him offering beetle leaves to the Chief Minister during one of his usual visits to the constituency.

In his early political career, Chouhan has also been a convener of Akhil Bhartiya Keshariya Vahini in 1991-92, the General Secretary of All India Bhartiya Janata Yuva Morcha from 1992 onwards, the General Secretary of Bhartiya Janta Party, Madhya Pradesh from 1992 to 1994, a member of Consultative Committee, Ministry of Human Resources Development from 1992 to 1996.

He was also a Member of Committee on Labour and Welfare from 1993 to 1996 and a member of Hindi Salahkar Samiti from 1994 to 1996.

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News Network
December 5,2025

Mangaluru: In a significant step to curb online hate and intimidation, Mangaluru City Police have registered a suo motu case against multiple Instagram accounts accused of circulating alleged provocative and threatening content.

While monitoring social media activity on Tuesday, Kankanady Town PSI Anitha Nikkam identified the Instagram handle ‘team_targetttt_900’ for posting a hate message alongside images of lethal weapons. Another account, ‘team_nagara_900’, allegedly shared a threatening post targeting activist Bharath Kumdelu, tagging additional pages such as KARAVALI-OFFICIAL.

Several other accounts — including ‘immu_bhai.fan’, ‘target_boy_900’, ‘kings_of_manglore’, ‘team_target_boys.900’, ‘arshad_mangalore’, ‘target_ka19_ullal’, ‘team_target__’, ‘troll_tigersz_900’, ‘tr_group_900’, and ‘team_target_900’ — are also under scrutiny for spreading similar inflammatory material, police said.

Authorities have urged citizens, especially young social media users, to report suspicious pages and avoid engaging with groups that glorify violence or threaten individuals. Online hate can quickly escalate into real-world harm, and police stress that sharing or promoting such content can attract legal consequences.

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News Network
December 16,2025

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Melkar (Bantwal): The 9th Annual Day celebration of SMR Public School, titled “EXCELLENTIA”, was held on December 15 with great enthusiasm and dignity, marking a significant milestone in the institution’s journey towards academic excellence and holistic development.

The programme was inaugurated by Dr. U. T. Iftikar Ali. The chief guests were Dr. Akhtar Hussain, Mr. P. Moosabba Beary, Mr. Zakaria Jokattre, and Dr. T. M. Abdul Rahuf—whose inspiring addresses motivated the students and appreciated the school’s contributions to education.

Mr. Abdul Nasir, Mr. Ibrahim Gadiyar, Mr. Razak Golthamajal, Mr. Sali Koya, Mr. Arshad Hussain, Mr. Ismail Balanoor, Mr. Feroz Bawa, Mr. Sahul Hameed, Mr. Abubakkar, Mr. Hameed K. Mani, Mr. Abdul Majeed (Principal, Melkar Women’s College), and Mr. Abdul Lathief (Former Principal, Melkar Women’s College) were the guests of honour.

The Annual Report was presented by the Headmistress, Ms. Fathimathul Zaheera, highlighting the school’s achievements and progress during the academic year. The Presidential Address was delivered by the Chairman of SMR Public School, Dr. Haji S. M. Rasheed, who emphasised the vital role of education in shaping students’ futures and stressed the importance of discipline, dedication, and consistent effort in achieving 100 per cent academic results.

Secretary of SMR Public School, Mr. Rifath Ahmed, and PTA President, Mr. Sandeep Kumar, were also present on the occasion.

The Annual Day celebration showcased the collective efforts of students and teachers and reaffirmed the school’s commitment to quality education and all-round development. The programme concluded with a vote of thanks, expressing gratitude to all dignitaries, parents, and well-wishers for their support. The 9th Annual Day—EXCELLENTIA—was a memorable and successful event, leaving a lasting impression on everyone present. 

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News Network
December 15,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 15: Educational institutions in Mangaluru that rely on the popular Mangala Stadium for their annual sports events are bracing for an inconvenience as the city's key sporting venue is set to close its gates for a significant upgrade. The stadium is expected to be unavailable for approximately two months starting from January 15, 2026.

The closure is necessitated by a proposed overhaul of the stadium's facilities, with a special focus on upgrading the synthetic track. Pradeep Dsouza, Assistant Director of the District of Youth Empowerment and Sports (DYES), Dakshina Kannada, confirmed the development.

"Experts have visited the stadium, conducted a thorough inspection, and have given the go-ahead for a complete makeover," Dsouza stated. "Funds have been allocated for the project, and we are currently awaiting the final green signal from state officials to commence the work. We anticipate that the work will likely begin in the second week of January. Consequently, we have stopped renting out the stadium to colleges and other organizations in preparation for the upgrade."

The timing presents a logistical challenge for colleges, as many schools have already concluded their sports meets.

"Colleges will now be organizing their events and will need to find alternative locations to host their sports meets," Dsouza added. He suggested a few potential venues, including the Dakshina Kannada police ground, University College grounds, Panambur grounds, Swaraj Maidan in Moodbidri, and the Mangalore University sports grounds in Konaje.

However, many institutions note that finding a comparable venue will be difficult. While the DK police ground and University College grounds are closer to the city center, they do not possess the extensive facilities and infrastructure offered by Mangala Stadium.

Dr. P Dayananda Pai - P Satisha Govt First Grade College, Carstreet, is one such institution dependent on the stadium. Principal Jayakar Bhandary expressed hope for a swift completion of the work. "We expect the work to be completed at the earliest. If not, we will be forced to look for other venues to host the sports day for our students," Bhandary said, highlighting the pressing need for the city's main sporting facility.

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