Bhopal, December 17: At the swearing-in ceremony of Madhya Pradesh's new Chief Minister Kamal Nath, it was his predecessor - Shivraj Singh Chouhan - who ended up winning scores of hearts with his broad smile, sportsmanship and statesmanship. "Mama", as he is popularly called in the state, received one of the loudest pops from the gathering which came together to witness Nath taking the oath to Office.

Senior BJP leader Ram Madhav said the manner exhibited by Chouhan reflects the true ideology of the BJP. Despite winning the popular vote, the outgoing CM is humble and gracious in his exit, Madhav pointed out. Bitterness is what the BJP despises, he said, adding that the party believes that victories and defeats are part of politics. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath Swings Into Action, Signs Farm Loan Waiver Upto Rs 2 Lakh.

Despite demitting Office, Chouhan arguably remains the most popular leader of Madhya Pradesh, Madhav pointed out, adding that the BJP under his leadership has outperformed the Congress in terms of vote share.

"Proud of Shivraj Singh Chauhan ji. Spirited fight. More votes; short of majority in a hung house; but no temptation for harakiri; graceful exit by submitting resignation. He won the hearts even in party's sad electoral loss," Madhav said.

Chouhan, 59, was appointed the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh in 2005 -- and continued to hold the post for 13 consecutive years.

On his exit, Chouhan said he would not be leaving Madhya Pradesh to concentrate on national politics. "Madhya Pradesh is my temple and the masses are my God. The doors of my house are always open to every citizen of the state and they can come to me without any hesitation. I'll be helping them as usual," he wrote on Twitter, while updating his social media profile from Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh to "Common Man of MP".

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 17, 2018 10:58 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).