by Harish Gupta, National Editor, Lokmat Group
RS ticket behind Scindia tantrums
BJP ready to welcome Jyotiraditya
Harish Gupta
New Delhi, Nov 26
A Rajya Sabha ticket seems to be at the heart of bitter battle within the Madhya Pardesh Congress and cause of recent twitter storm involving senior party functionary Jyotiraditya Scindia.
Biennial poll for three Rajya Sabha seats is due to be held in April 2020.
The Congress, with 115 MLAs in the House of 230, can easily elect elect one member while the BJP will also win one seat with the backing of 107 MLAs. The bitter battle will be witnessed for the third seat which could go either way. Digvijay Singh is retiring in April 2020 and a natural claimant for the re-nomination. Kamal Nath can ill-afford to deny him the ticket. Though its for the high command to select the candidates for two out of the three seats. But given the ticklish political situation in the state, the high command is likely to leave it at the wisdom of the state leadership to take a call on candidates.
Sensing that he may not have a place in Rajya Sabha next year and any major role to play in state politics, he felt increasingly isolated. With Rahul Gandhi taking a back seat, he is now finding going tough at the AICC level too.
It is in this background that rumours were rife for months that Scindia may walk out of the Congress and join the BJP. He has been having a running battle with the Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath and former Chief Minister Digvijay Singh. Scindia was even denied the post of MPCC chief's post too.
An annoyed Scindia, changed his profile on the twitter where he removed his past association with the Congress and merely said:“Public servant, cricket enthusiast.” Though he clarified later that the changes were made a month ago and no politics be attributed to it.
When asked a senior BJP leader said, “Its up to the party high command to take a decision. But there is no recommendation from the state leadership in this regard.”
Two of his aunts; Vasudhara Raje Scindia and Yashodhara Raje Scindia are already in the BJP and playing a key role. The BJP is not averse to his joining the party particularly when it is following an “open door policy.”
After all, he is the only surviving Maratha dynasty though its property battle is being fought amongst the family members.
The real estate empire of the House of Scindias empire is worth Rs 20,000 crore alone.
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