Shivraj Singh Chouhan attends Kamal Nath’s swearing-in, in a show of grace

Kamal Nath’s swearing-in as Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister produced a rare moment of political courtesy when the BJP‘s Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who had been chief minister three times, took part in the ceremony to hand over to his Congress successor.

On stage together

Invited onto the stage, the 59-year-old, known affectionately in the state as “Mama”, was photographed alongside Nath and Jyotiraditya Scindia, their joined hands raised. BJP spokesperson Rahul Kothari said the gesture showed how gracious Chouhan was, and that he believed victory and defeat were part of politics but left no room for bitterness.

After the results, Chouhan had resigned and taken sole responsibility for the defeat. The BJP lost by a narrow margin of 5 seats, while the Congress fell two short of a majority and reached it with Mayawati’s support.

The 1984 verdict

The photo opportunity came as BJP leaders in Delhi attacked Nath after the Delhi High Court found Congress leader Sajjan Kumar guilty over his role in the anti-Sikh riots that followed the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi by her Sikh bodyguards in 1984.

Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said it was sad that the judgment came on the day a senior leader whom Sikhs held responsible for the riots was being made a minister.

Nath, chosen by Rahul Gandhi after leading a divided party to victory, said there was no police case against him. “There is no case, FIR, or chargesheet against me,” he said, adding that he had taken oath in 1991 and several times since without objection, and suggesting the issue was being raised for political reasons.

What happened next

The final tally in Madhya Pradesh gave the Congress 114 seats, the BJP 109 and the Bahujan Samaj Party 2.

Originally published on 18 December 2018. Rewritten on 9 October 2026.

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