Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan meets Uma Bharti, gets blessings to emerge victorious

BHOPAL: After 20 months of defiance against her party’s government for a change in the Excise Policy of the state, Uma Bharti posed with chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan in a show of unity at her official residence on Monday.
Chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan reached Bharti’s residence at Shyamla Hills and he was welcomed with showers of floral petals. On seeing Uma Bharti, chief minister Chouhan bent down and touched her feet and sought her blessings.
The Excise Policy for 2023-24 was finally approved by the state cabinet after a delay on Sunday February 20 after incorporating some of Uma Bharti’s demands for controlled liquor sale. The cabinet banned drinking in ahatas (taverns) adjoining the liquor shops and increased the distance between the outlets and educational institutions.
Happy with the amendments made in the new excise policy, Uma Bharti announced the felicitation of chief minister Chouhan at a function which was scheduled for February 25 at Ravindra Bhavan. However, due to the tragic bus accident in Sidhi, former chief minister Uma Bharti postponed the event on the request of Chouhan and state BJP chief VD Sharma. On Monday morning, however, chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan decided to pay Bharti a visit at her residence.
She put a garland around the chief minister’s neck, showered yellow marigold on him as a mark of honour and the chief minister bent down to touch her feet and take blessings. She blessed him to “emerge victorious.”