Jyotiraditya Scindia is of value to BJP, says aunt Yashodhara Raje

Jyotiraditya Scindia, who had been loyal to the Congress for 18 years, has quit the party to join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

The former Madhya Pradesh Congress leader, who hails from a family of royals, has been disenchanted with the party’s top leadership for months and miffed for not getting to play more pivotal roles in national-level politics.

Fellow Gwalior royal Yashodhara Raje Scindia, who is a BJP leader, has described the incident as “ghar wapsi”, claiming her nephew to be of value to the saffron party. “The BJP would not have taken him if they did not see value in him as a leader,” the senior royal said.

Justifying Jyotiraditya’s move, she said there were several reasons that led him to take such a big step, reported NDTV. “We are not mad. There are reasons people get up and take such a big step," she said.

Speaking about her mother Vijayraje Scindia’s similar dramatic exit from the Grand Old Party decades ago, Yashodhara Raje said the former was “forced to quit Congress”.

The BJP leader further said: “My mother (Vijayraje) was a tall maharani, respected by politicians and people alike. She was forced to quit Congress because of party leader Dwarka Prasad Mishra, who overruled her and did not respect her. She was very sad, and it eventually forced her to leave.”

Commenting on critics calling out Jyotiraditya for quitting Congress in its bad days, Raje said his connect with the top brass of Congress was already eroding and it had become apparent. She pointed out that, nowadays, politics is not devoid of self-interest. Unlike a few decades ago, when politicians were primarily focused on nation-building, most political leaders have their own ambitions these days, the Congress rebel’s aunt claimed.

Notably, Jyotiraditya’s move came on the birthday of his deceased father Madhavrao Scindia, who had detached himself from the Congress for a brief period and was dubbed a “traitor” before being roped into the party again.

However, apart from Madhavrao Scindia, most politicians from the family owe their allegiance to the BJP, including former Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje.