One of the most powerful leaders of BJP after AB Vajpayee and LK Advani, had once jokingly said that "since Shivraj Singh's 'sasural' comes from Maharashtra (his wife is from Gondia), I have picked him for the CM's post". The late general secretary of the party, Pramod Mahajan, was in Bhopal and was replying to a question: how come the party pick Shivraj as successor to (then CM) Babulal Gaur.

Mahajan, who belonged to Maharashtra, was widely believed to have groomed Shivraj and when an opportunity arose, pushed him to the hot seat. Chauhan was an MP from Vidisha, serving his fourth consecutive term then.

That was November 2005. The BJP had already changed, in the span of two years, two CMs — Uma Bharti, who had got BJP an unprecedented victory in 2003 against Digvijay Singh's 10-year Congress regime, and Gaur, for different reasons.

So, not many in MP were sure if the shy OBC leader with almost no pan-MP image, would last in CM's chair. But that was not to be.

Witty Mahajan's jokes apart, Shivraj has come a long way, meandering his way through difficult times of post-Advani era in BJP. Soon after Mahajan's tragic death, Shivraj made friends with other top leaders such as Venkaiah Naidu, Nitin Gadkari and Rajnath Singh. Most of them trusted him. Unlike in other states, entire Assembly election in MP veers around him today. He created such conditions that he remained the best bet for the party high command which was in a dilemma whether to make him the poll mascot or not. But his understanding of Madhya Pradesh, its caste combinations, regional balances and politics help him reach where he is today and tackle anti-incumbency feelings.

"His ability to convert an adverse condition into an opportunity is unmatched," said one of his staunch followers, adding "Chouhan is ambitious but he does not let it show on his face or in his actions."

MP witnessed many political upheavals under him, seen as threats to his throne, but Chouhan, 59, survived all. Every time it appeared he was in trouble and could be changed, including at the height of the notorious Vyapam scam, he came out unscathed. The CBI is, of course, inquiring into it but courts have ruled in his favour. No corruption charge stuck him so far.

One after the other, he successfully marginalised his rivals within the party, mainly Uma Bharti and Kailash Vijayvargiya, now party general secretary.

The suave farmer leader from Budni is today an unchallenged BJP satrap in the central Indian state and has emerged as one of the tallest leaders in the right-wing party, surviving many ups and downs. In the past 13 years that he is around, he led the party to victory in 2008 and 2013 and then in 2014 Lok Sabha elections, he ensured BJP wins as many as 27 seats of the 29.

An unassuming Chouhan is, however, considered to be a shrewd chief minister, if not a great administrator. Local politicians have already started calling him a 'chanakya' given his ability to survive under turbulent times. He is the longest-serving BJP chief minister, thanks to his style of functioning; he does not offend even his opponents by words nor does he indulge in back-biting, said Jayant Malaiya, finance minister and his close aide.

On the eve of the most crucial elections BJP is fighting, the question being asked everywhere is: will Shivraj be able to make a hat-trick? The answer will be available only next month!