NextBillion - An Initiative of the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan

Last week, immediately after taking oath for the third consecutive term,Shivraj Singh Chouhan, chief minister of Madhya Pradesh, took four executive decisions for the welfare of different demographic segments in the state.

Yes, the procedure was unusual. Not just because he chose to work from Day 1. Instead, it was because the package surprisingly included the promise of an electoral sop specifically targeting the middle class.

To my memory, this is a very interesting first. So far the business of inclusion, as defined by politicians, has targeted the poorer population segments, or what is often referred to as the bottom of the pyramid. And this—through the entitlement regime—has paid immense dividends to the Congress, particularly in the 2004 and 2009 general elections.