Did Scindia pass the test? BJP doubles 2018 tally on his turf Gwalior-Chambal, but many loyalists lose

This was first MP election since Scindia left Congress with 22 MLAs & joined BJP. The region has 34 of MP’s 230 seats, & the election was seen as a test of his clout.

File photo of Jyotiraditya Scindia | Photo: Suraj Singh Bisht | ThePrint

Bhopal: The BJP swept Madhya Pradesh Sunday, but it was a mixed bag for Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia as a handful of his loyalists lost their seats in his bastion, the state’s Gwalior-Chambal region. 

This was the first assembly election since Scindia left the Congress with 22 MLAs and joined the BJP. The region has 34 of the state’s 230 seats, and the election was seen as a test of the erstwhile royal’s clout.

In this election, the BJP has nearly doubled its 2018 tally in the region — seven to 17 won — but is still short of what the Congress won last time, 26. The latter has won 16 seats this time.

The Gwalior-Chambal region has eight districts, of which five — Gwalior, Shivpuri, Datia, Ashoknagar, and Guna — fall under the Gwalior region. Morena, Bhind and Sheopur are in Chambal. All these districts were part of the erstwhile Scindia kingdom.

There are 21 seats in Gwalior, including four from Guna, Scindia’s Lok Sabha constituency. The BJP won 12 while the Congress won the remaining nine seats.

Chambal has 13 seats, of which the BJP had won in six, compared to two in 2018, while the Congress won in seven.

In 2020, Scindia, a chief ministerial aspirant in the Congress, switched over to the BJP and was made Rajya Sabha MP and Union minister. This led the 15-month-old government led by Congress veteran Kamal Nath to fall.

Several of his loyalists pivotal in bringing down the Congress government in 2020 were given tickets by the BJP this time. 

As many as 18 Scindia loyalists among the incumbent MLAs were fielded by the BJP across Madhya Pradesh. Three others who lost in the 2020 bypolls got tickets as well — former state women and child development minister Imarti Devi, Raghuraj Kansana from Morena assembly seat in Morena, and Aidal Singh Kansana in Sumaoli in Morena.

Of the 18 Scindia loyalists fielded by the BJP, 10 won while the remaining eight lost, including three sitting ministers and Chairman of State Civil Supplies Corporation Limited.

Political analyst Rasheed Kidwai said the spectacular victory of the BJP swept across all regions of Madhya Pradesh, and it was not just Gwalior-Chambal that had seen improvement. 

“The victory is beyond the contribution of independent leaders, whether it is Scindia or (CM) Shivraj Singh Chouhan. It is the Modi factor that seems to have worked and swept not just MP, but also Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan,” Kidwai added.  

“There is a definite contribution of individual leaders, but now moving forward it will be the Centre that will decide which leader needs to remain in the state, and who will move to the Centre.” 

How Scindia loyalists fared

Of the 18 Scindia loyalists who were given tickets, 10 won and the rest lost. At least five lost in the Gwalior-Chambal region. This comes at a time when the BJP managed to win 163 seats in the 230-seat assembly, and 18 of them fall in the Gwalior-Chambal region, which has a total 34 seats.

Panchayat and Rural Development Minister Mahendra Singh Sisodia lost from Bamori in Guna by a margin of 14,000 votes, while Imarti Devi lost from Dabra, and Raghuraj Kansana from Morena. 

Beyond Gwalior and Chambal, Rajvardhan Dattigaon, Minister of Industry Policy and Investment Promotion, lost to the Congress’ Bhawar Singh Shekhawat in Badhawar. 

Suresh Ratkhede lost the Pohri seat in Shivpuri district to the Congress’ Kailash Khushwaha. Scindia’s aunt Maya Singh lost from Gwalior-East to the Congress’ Satish Shikharwar. 

BJP leaders told ThePrint that Scindia was never considered a potential chief ministerial nominee. 

“He is at the Centre, doing good work. Why would he suddenly want to shift from the Centre without a cause?” said a leader. “He can always become the chief minister in the next tenure.” 

Another leader added that “age is on Scindia’s side”. 

While the BJP is yet to announce a CM candidate, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who has led the state for 18 years, is seen as a frontrunner. The BJP leaders quoted above said it would be suitable for Scindia if Chouhan continued as CM, as they “enjoy a good rapport”. 

(Edited by Sunanda Ranjan)