Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan launched his book Apnapan: Narendra Modi Sang Mere Anubhav ('Apnapan: My Experiences with Narendra Modi') on Tuesday, 26 May 2026, sharing an emotional account of more than three decades of personal and political association with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Context

In the post, Chouhan writes that his bond with Modi spans over three decades, beginning when both worked together as party organisation workers. He describes having observed Modi closely as 'ek karmatha karyakarta, kushala prashashak, doordarshi neta aur adbhut sangathanshilpi' — 'a hardworking activist, a skilled administrator, a visionary leader, and a remarkable organisation-builder.'

Chouhan states that the book is an attempt to weave together 'precious experiences, memories, learnings, and emotional moments' gathered over those years. The volume is being released under the hashtag #ApnapanBook.

Policy Backdrop

Shivraj Singh Chouhan served as Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh for four terms between 2005 and 2023, a tenure during which he worked in close coordination with the BJP's central leadership, including Modi, on flagship welfare and agricultural schemes. He was inducted into the Union Cabinet following the 2024 general elections, taking charge of the Agriculture & Farmers Welfare and Rural Development portfolios.

The release fits a broader pattern among senior BJP figures of documenting personal narratives around Prime Minister Modi, reinforcing the party's internal culture of organisational discipline and worker-centric leadership that Modi is credited with shaping since the 1990s.

Stakeholders and Impact

The book is explicitly addressed at the new generation of party workers and citizens. Chouhan expresses confidence that it will acquaint young readers with 'the breadth of the Prime Minister's personality, the largeness of his heart, his dedication to national service, and his warmth towards party workers.'

For BJP karyakartas — the grassroots cadre that forms the backbone of the party's electoral machinery — such a memoir carries organisational significance, presenting Modi's leadership style as a model rooted in personal relationships and ground-level engagement rather than purely administrative authority.

What's Next

The book's launch is likely to draw attention at upcoming BJP organisational meetings and may prompt endorsements or responses from other senior party figures. If the volume gains wide circulation, it could become part of the party's internal training and ideological literature distributed among workers ahead of state assembly cycles. Observers will also watch whether other Union Ministers or Chief Ministers follow with similar memoir projects, a trend that has gathered momentum within the party in recent years.