Jyotiraditya Scindia joins BJP, JP Nadda welcomes family member back into fold; gets Rajya Sabha ticket from Madhya Pradesh

Scindia, who was said to be in Rahul Gandhi’s close team, said the Congress leadership had lost touch with reality in serving the people. He said he was impressed by PM Narendra Modi’s policies and dedication.

Gwalior maharaja Jyotiraditya Scindia joined the BJP in the presence of party president JP Nadda on Wednesday, March 11. Thanking the BJP for accepting him, Scindia said he said he wants to serve the people and the Congress has lost direction. Later in the evening, he was named one of the two Rajya Sabha nominees from Madhya Pradesh.

In a swipe that was expected against former Congress president Rahul Gandhi, who he was said to be close to, Scindia said the Congress was not interested in new leadership or new ideas. He said India’s future was secure under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership. Scindia said he was impressed by the PM’s dedication and policies.

Referencing his disaffection with the Congress, he said he was brimming with ideas when the Congress won the Madhya Pradesh assembly election in 2018. The Congress is yet to act on promises made like farm loan waiver, he said. It must be remembered that Congress chose Kamal Nath over Scindia for the CM’s post. Kamal Nath also got an indirect mention from Scindia when he said mafias are running Madhya Pradesh.

Also Read: Madhya Pradesh: Jyotiraditya Scindia, 20 MLAs quit Congress, likely to join BJP


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Nadda said the BJP was aware of his leadership skills. He said Jyotiraditya is like a family member, Scindia’s aunt Yashodhara Raje has already called the move the former Guna MP’s gharwapsi. Scindia’s grandmother, the late Vijaya Raje Scindia, was a key Jan Sangh-BJP figure.

Nadda said the BJP was a democratic party, without naming the Congress, which is supposed to have frustrated Scindia by not allowing him either a greater role in the party or in Madhya Pradesh.

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Reports said the Gwalior royal, who left the Congress after 18 years, has been nominated for a Rajya Sabha seat by the BJP and is eventually expected to get a Cabinet post. With Scindia’s party swap, the turmoil in the Madhya Pradesh Government is yet to reach its climax. Reports said 21 MLAs had quit the Congress leaving the party short at just below 100 MLAs. The Congress won 114 seats in the 230-member House and got the support of 2 BSP MLAs, the BJP has 109 MLAs. Resort politics have now found a new destination with BJP moving its flock to Gurugram, Haryana while the Congress legislators flew to Bengaluru. Further, reports said MLAs who sided with Scindia were rethinking their position after his joining the BJP.

Initial reports had said Scindia was to be inducted by Home Minister Amit Shah but Shah wasn’t on the podium at the BJP HQ. Petroleum Minister Dhamendra Pradhan was present along with other senior BJP office-bearers. Scindia had met Prime Minister Modi and Shah on Monday.

With Baijayant Jay Panda, who had switched loyalties from the Biju Janata Dal to the BJP, welcoming him into BJP headquarters in New Delhi, Scindia, who was due to join the party on Tuesday, postponed the joining by a day and then delayed the time of his joining by almost 3 hours for what is said to be an auspicious time.