Bharatiya Janata Party leader and former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Monday resigned as the MLA from Budhni, nearly two weeks after he was elected as the MP from Vidisha.

Chouhan had won the Budhni Assembly constituency six times and had represented the seat continuously since 2006. On Monday, he thanked the people of the constituency and said he would “continue to serve the people with all my strength”.

The former chief minister recalled that he had started his public life from Budhni and had taken part in several agitations in the region. He said it was an emotional decision for him to resign as an MLA.

Chouhan is now a Union minister, and holds the portfolios of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, and Rural Development.

In December, after the BJP won Assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh, Chouhan was replaced as chief minister by Mohan Yadav, who had served as education minister in the previous government.

Chouhan won the Vidisha Lok Sabha seat by over 8.21 lakh votes, defeating Congress candidate Pratapbhanu Sharma.