Union Ports and Shipping Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Tuesday, 26 May 2026 took to X to commend Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan's book Apnapan, calling it a rare and intimate account from a leader of high standing.

Context

In his post, Sonowal described the book as providing 'a unique lens into India's transformation, highlighting the impact of strong governance, organisation and cultural consciousness.' He noted that it was rare for a leader 'of such eminence' to pen something 'this intimate and grounded,' signalling personal admiration for Chouhan's literary effort.

Shivraj Singh Chouhan, currently a Union Minister and a senior BJP figure, served multiple terms as Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh between 2005 and 2023. He is widely recognised within the party for welfare-oriented governance and administrative outreach during his long tenure at the state level.

Policy Backdrop

Chouhan's years as Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister were marked by repeated emphasis on welfare delivery, administrative reforms, and community-level engagement. Apnapan — the title translates broadly to 'a sense of belonging' or 'one's own-ness' — appears to draw on those lived governance experiences, framing them through a lens of cultural consciousness and national progress.

Senior BJP ministers have increasingly used social media platforms to endorse colleagues' written works that link personal governance narratives with broader accounts of India's development under the current government. Sonowal's post fits squarely within that pattern of public communication.

Stakeholders and Impact

The primary audience for both the book and Sonowal's endorsement is the BJP's leadership ecosystem — party workers, policy readers, and citizens interested in first-person accounts of governance. Such endorsements from cabinet colleagues can amplify a book's visibility and lend it institutional credibility within political circles.

For Chouhan, the ministerial backing reinforces his standing as a figure whose governance record is considered worth documenting and studying. The cross-ministerial support also underlines the collegial public communication style that has become a feature of the current cabinet's social media presence.

What's Next

Further ministerial commentary, formal book-launch events, or public readings tied to Apnapan could follow as the book gains wider circulation. Any parallel literary or memoir initiatives by other senior BJP office-bearers would add to what appears to be a growing genre of governance-themed political literature from within the ruling dispensation.