Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Tuesday, 26 May 2026, publicly endorsed a book titled 'Apnapan' authored by senior BJP leader and Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, describing it as an inspiring reflection of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's people-centric governance philosophy.

What the endorsement says

In her pinned post on X, CM Gupta wrote that the book 'Apnapan' embodies the spirit of 'seva, Antyodaya, janbhagidari aur Rashtra Pratham' — service, upliftment of the last person in line, public participation, and nation-first — values she credited with having 'awakened new faith in the lives of crores of citizens' under PM Modi's leadership. She called the book 'dedicated to poor welfare and public service' and urged readers to make it a must-read.

The post, written in Hindi and pinned to her profile, carries the hashtag #ApnapanBook and directly tags @ChouhanShivraj, signalling a coordinated amplification effort within the party's senior leadership.

Context

Shivraj Singh Chouhan is one of the BJP's most prominent faces in welfare governance. He served as Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh across multiple terms beginning 2005, during which his government launched programmes such as the Ladli Behna Yojana targeting women from lower-income households. He subsequently joined the Modi cabinet as a Union Minister, continuing his association with pro-poor policy messaging.

The concept of Antyodaya — prioritising the poorest of the poor — has been a cornerstone of BJP's ideological vocabulary since well before 2014. The Antyodaya Anna Yojana, launched in 2000, provided subsidised foodgrains to the most vulnerable households and remains a reference point for the party's welfare narrative.

Policy backdrop

Since 2014, senior BJP leaders and Union ministers have periodically authored or endorsed books that tie personal governance experience to the party's core themes of janbhagidari (public participation) and Rashtra Pratham (nation first). These publications function both as ideological documents and as outreach tools aimed at party workers, students, and the broader public.

'Apnapan' — meaning 'a sense of belonging' or 'one's own' in Hindi — fits squarely within this tradition, drawing on Chouhan's decades of experience in state and central governance to present a narrative of inclusive development anchored in PM Modi's leadership.

Stakeholders and impact

The primary audience for such endorsements is the BJP's vast network of party workers and grassroots volunteers, for whom books of this nature serve as motivational and ideological reference material. Welfare beneficiaries and civil society groups engaged in poverty alleviation programmes are also an implied audience, given the book's stated focus on Garib Kalyan (poor welfare).

Delhi CM Gupta's decision to pin the endorsement — rather than simply post it — elevates its visibility and suggests the promotion is intended to have sustained reach beyond a single news cycle.

What's next

The #ApnapanBook campaign is likely to attract further endorsements from BJP chief ministers, MPs, and Union ministers in the coming days, potentially culminating in a formal launch event or references at party forums. Observers will watch whether the book is cited in upcoming welfare-policy reviews or used as campaign material ahead of state elections on the horizon.