New Delhi/Bhopal, June 11 (IANS): Former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister, Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Tuesday said that he needs a hardworking team so that the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare can address the challenges faced by the agriculture sector and the farming community of the country.

“We all share equal responsibility and will work together to take India's farming and agriculture to new heights. Any minister can't do it alone. I need a hardworking team to achieve all these tasks,” Chouhan told the ministry officials after taking charge.

Chouhan, who became the Union Minister for the first time was allocated the portfolios of the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, and Ministry of Rural Development on Monday, a day after he was sworn in Modi 3.0 Cabinet on Sunday.

The 65-year-old leader, popularly known as "mama" (maternal uncle) and "paon-paon wale bhaiya" (foot soldier), governed Madhya Pradesh for over 17 years. He was replaced by Mohan Yadav as Chief Minister on December 3 last year.

With his extensive experience in governance and deep connection with the rural populace, Chouhan's appointment as the Union Agriculture Minister is expected to bring fresh impetus to the government's efforts to address the challenges faced by the people.

Born on March 5, 1959, in a farming family in Jait village, Sehore district, Chouhan's political journey began with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) when he was just 13 years old.

He was first elected to the Madhya Pradesh Assembly from Budhni constituency in 1990 and later became a Member of Parliament from Vidisha in 1991.

He was re-elected from the same constituency in 1996, 1998, 1999, and 2004, winning his fifth Lok Sabha election with an impressive margin of over 2,60,000 votes.

On June 4, he won his sixth Lok Sabha election from Vidisha against Congress' Pratap Bhanu Sharma with a margin of over 8 lakh votes.