Former Lok Sabha speaker and BJP veteran Sumitra Mahajan confessed that she used to request her Congress counterparts to raise issues related to her constituency when the then Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, Shivraj Singh Chouhan-led BJP government was in power in the state. 

Mahajan added that she dared not argue or counter Chouhan as she was a part of the BJP which ruled Madhya Pradesh till last year.

“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 the people of Indore. I used to humbly request [Congress leaders] Jitu Patwari and Tulsi Silawat to raise the issue, while also assuring that the situation will be handled and taken to Shivraj [Singh Chouhan],” she told ANI.

Mahajan made the candid confession at an event chaired by Madhya Pradesh Governor Lalji Tandon in Indore on December 1, Sunday.

She said 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,” the former Speaker said.

“I was tied down with (party) discipline so could not publicly speak against the previous state government,” she said, adding that Congress leaders kept their word during such times.

Her confession drew praise from MP Health Minister Tulsiram Silawat.

Shivraj Singh Chouhan served as Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister between 2005 and 2018 representing BJP. 

Last year in December, he lost the state election to Congress after failing to secure a majority and was replaced by Kamal Nath.

Sumitra Mahajan, who was speaker of the 16th Lok Sabha from 2014 to 2019, had announced earlier this year that she would not contest the 2019 general elections.

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