He is the liability. He is the strength, as well. Chief minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan has proved to be an enigma that the Narendra Modi-Amit Shah duopoly seems to have failed to decipher.

There were tangible signs of attempts to completely sideline Shivraj in the run-up to the Madhya Pradesh elections, but the BJP central leadership soon realised there was no other leader with the ability to steer the ship through this turbulence.

The MPs and central ministers sent in as possible replacements were soon reduced to mere reinforcement, with the scheme on the minds of the strategists failing to resonate on the ground.

There was a stage in the BJP’s campaign when Shivraj looked redundant with the focus shifting to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his team of central leaders who had joined the Assembly election fray — Narendra Singh Tomar, Prahlad Patel, Faggan Singh Kulaste, Kailash Vijayvargiya, Rakesh Singh, Ganesh Singh, Uday Pratap Singh and Reeti Pathak.

All of them were seen as potential candidates for chief minister, with the political grapevine ruling out Shivraj’s return after the election.

But this theory died down soon with all these so-called “big leaders” getting stuck in their own constituencies while the candidates demanded only Shivraj as campaigner.

Although the BJP hasn’t declared Shivraj as the candidate for chief minister, he has emerged as the main campaigner, addressing 8 to 10 public meetings daily.

He has already covered 125 constituencies, underlining his image as an adorable “Mama” whose connect with the people hasn’t faded despite the considerable anti-incumbency generated by 18 years at the helm.

There is no denying that the Congress has built a formidable challenge against “Shivraj’s misrule”, marked by myriad scams and unfulfilled promises.

Accusations of corruption against Shivraj and his family — from the Vyapam and tender scams to illegal mining and many other recruitment irregularities — have blotted his copybook.

He gained the moniker “Shav-raj” after the mysterious deaths relating to the Vyapam scam, but emerged unscathed and even managed to confront his rivals with an expression of injured innocence.

On Sunday, spotting a child at a public rally, Shivraj quipped: “When does a child come to hear a political speech? Look, how he is calling out ‘Mama, Mama’. Aa re mere bhanje (Come, my nephew)… you are my life. I will not allow your future to be ruined.”

After wasting 18 years, Shivraj is now promising to open model schools to which even kings and queens would aspire to send their children.

“How much am I spending on one school building? Rs 40 crore,” he boasts at every meeting, without expressing any remorse about the pathetic state of affairs in education and healthcare.

Madhya Pradesh is number one in unemployment. But Shivraj has a special magic, he can still portray himself as the messiah of the poor.

He is very popular among women despite the Ladli Behna scheme, in which Rs 1,200 is given to poor women every month, being largely seen as a pre-election gimmick. He is also the only OBC chief minister the BJP has.

But why has Modi-Shah decided against projecting him as chief minister again? They know the fatigue factor has set in and an anti-Shivraj vote has consolidated over the years despite the BJP retaining its core voters.

However, a deeper analysis suggests that Shivraj cannot alone be blamed for the crisis.

While Shivraj is indeed seen as corrupt, with the latest scams involving the Mahakal Corridor and the selection of patwaris cementing that perception, what have angered the people more are the prices of LPG, petrol and diesel, and the agrarian crisis. The genesis of these problems lies with the Modi government.

A Banjara youth, Ritik Jadaphiya, summed up the mood in the villages.

“People are cut up with Shivraj. What has he done — given cash assistance for marriages, given cash to women, and demolished houses with bulldozers,” he said.

“Some people are happy with this dole culture, but others want real progress – good schools and hospitals and fair administration. Shivraj has failed on that front.”

Raju Yadav, a middle-aged man, is outraged at the destruction of medium and small enterprises that has wiped out thousands of jobs.

“What options does a youth have after finishing his studies? Either open a food joint or bring out a battery rickshaw,” he said.

“There was a time when we heard about our boys and girls getting jobs. Modi and Shivraj have ruined the job market. If you have Rs 20-30 lakh to bribe politicians and top officials, you can get a job.”

However, that anger among the public does not mean the Congress is the natural beneficiary. There is a section that feels that Shivraj alone can offer solutions. This sentiment has forced Modi and Shah to alter the strategy and let “Mama” salvage the situation as best he can.