Jyotiraditya was the only chap who could enter my home any time, says Rahul
On a day it lost Jyotiraditya Scindia — one of its most promising and prominent young leaders — to the BJP and its Government in Madhya Pradesh runs the risk of losing power after the 19 party MLAs reiterated their loyalty to the “Maharaj”, the Congress on Wednesday chose to speak on falling crude oil prices even as the threat of many others following in Scindia’s footsteps is being sounded from within the Congress camp itself.
If four-term Congress MLA Kuldeep Bishnoi has openly asserted that devoted leaders across the country are feeling “alienated, wasted and discontented”, those like Sachin Pilot — another restive leader caught in the generational clash with Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot — has warned against ignoring party faithful for candidature for a Rajya Sabha seat from the State. Pilot, like Scindia, too has been undergoing a similar grind in the party.
While the Congress chose to ignore Scindia, former party chief Rahul Gandhi said, “He was the only chap who could enter my home any time.” Scindia used to assist the Gandhi scion by prompting relevant points during debates in Parliament and used to share chits to Rahul to speak at times. Scindia’s exit from the party is also being attributed to his failure in getting heard by Rahul.
“He was with me in college,” Rahul said, breaking his silence on the exit of Scindia from the party. Rahul also shared a photo of December 13, 2018 of him with Scindia and Kamal Nath ahead of the deliberations over nomination of chief ministership in Madhya Pradesh.
However, Scindia’s departure seems to have forced the Congress to make the much delayed appointment of party presidents in Karnataka and Delhi. While young face Anil Chaudhary was appointed as its Delhi unit chief, party’s trouble shooter DK Shivakumar took over as the head of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee.
As for Scindia, sources said, he had been making attempts to reach out to other young leaders in the Congress and he allegedly contacted Rajasthan Deputy CM Sachin Pilot, former Union Ministers RPN Singh, Milind Deora, Jitin Prasada, Haryana MLA Kuldeep Bishnoi and others - all close aides of Rahul Gandhi.
Speculation is rife that his brother-in-law and another senior Congress leader from Jammu & Kashmir Vikramaditya Singh may also follow his footsteps. Sources said senior most Congress leader Dr Karan Singh too made futile attempts to convince Scindia to reconsider his decision to go with BJP.
“It is unfortunate that Jyotiraditya Scindia has been pushed to the corner by his own leaders with damaging results for the Congress party. This is a huge blow to the party that will have strong ripple effects down to the grassroot level,” Vikramaditya, son of Karan Singh, tweeted.
Scindia’s cousin and erstwhile Tripura royal, Pradyot Manikya Debbarman, claimed that the miffed leader had tried to meet Rahul for months before he quit the party. “I know for a fact that Jyotiraditya Scindia was trying to meet Rahul Gandhi for months; no appointment was given. If he (Rahul Gandhi) did not want to hear us, why did he even bring us to the party?,” said Debbarman who was the Tripura Congress chief before he too decided to quit the party a few months ago.
The Congress accused the BJP of being in the “business of poaching and abducting MLAs, and stealing Governments”, claiming that the party has fine-tuned the art. Terming the developments in Madhya Pradesh an insult to democracy, senior Congress spokesperson Anand Sharma said the BJP has fine-tuned the art of poaching and abducting MLAs and stealing Governments.
At a time when acute crisis prevails, the Congress demanded that the Modi Government bring down the prices of petrol, diesel and LPG to the pre-2004 levels as global crude oil prices have fallen drastically. Rahul asked the Prime Minister to slash the price of petrol to under Rs 60 a litre.
The exit of key men from the Congress started with former Congressman Himanta Biswa Sarma (now Assam Finance Minister). At least, five former Chief Ministers and half a dozen former Union Ministers of the Congress quit the party since 2014, when the Congress was reduced to its lowest tally. Most of these leaders had strong community appeal and have helped the BJP reach out to new voters’ constituencies.
Scindia’s exit was imminent almost 15 months ago when ahead of the Madhya Pradesh Assembly election, Rahul had assured him that he would be under consideration for chief ministership after the polls only to opt for Kamal Nath, a move many young leaders in the party privately attributed to Sonia Gandhi’s reluctance to make a young leader CM who might outshine her son and emerge as his challenger.
That was exactly why, these young leaders said, Sonia kept the post of deputy leader of the Lok Sabha vacant for two years after 2017 even though Scindia was keen on it.
Scindia was made general secretary of Western Uttar Pradesh and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, as general secretary in-charge of eastern UP who overruled Scindia in appointments across the State. Scindia also expressed his view on abrogation of Article 370 against the party lines.
On a day when he made hectic parleys with BJP leadership including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Scindia was expelled from the party due to anti-party activities.
