New Delhi: Congress leaders saw red Tuesday after senior partyman Jyotiraditya Scindia quit the party, throwing the Kamal Nath government in Madhya Pradesh into an imminent state of collapse.
Earlier in the day, Scindia, who had had been sidelined in the party for nearly two years, tweeted his resignation letter dated 9 March to interim Congress president Sonia Gandhi.
— Jyotiraditya M. Scindia (@JM_Scindia) March 10, 2020
His tweet came immediately after he met Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the latter’s residence. Home Minister Amit Shah had accompanied him to the meeting. The Congress expelled him moments after he made his letter to Gandhi public.
With talks of him joining the BJP later in the day, Congress leaders declared his move as a “betrayal” of ideology and the “trust of people”.
Hitting out at the former party general secretary, Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot said on Twitter that people like Scindia cannot thrive without power and the sooner they leave the better it is.
Joining hands with BJP in a time of national crisis speaks volumes about a leaders self-indulgent political ambitions. Especially when the BJP ruining the economy, democratic institutions, social fabric and as well the Judiciary.
1/2— Ashok Gehlot (@ashokgehlot51) March 10, 2020
Mr Scindia has betrayed the trust of the people as well as the ideology. Such people proves they can’t thrive without power. Sooner they leave the better.
2/2— Ashok Gehlot (@ashokgehlot51) March 10, 2020
Speaking to news agency PTI, Congress leader in the Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said that ideology did not matter to Scindia, and “political convenience” and “personal ambition” played a major part in his decision.
Chowdhury alleged that some sort of “allurement and enticement” offered by the BJP convinced Scindia for switching over from the Congress. “Now he has become the asset of the BJP party.”
Chowdhury said Scindia had been “nurtured by the party over the years”, but now “the situation had come to such a pass that he found it more convenient to switch over to the other party”.
Other Congressmen also reacted sharply.
Congress leader Digvijaya Singh: We have evidence that three chartered plane (which reportedly flew Congress MLAs to Bengaluru) were arranged by the BJP. This is part of a conspiracy to reverse the mandate of people of Madhya Pradesh because Kamal Nath has acted against mafias. pic.twitter.com/yCEMCho2xl
— tv9gujarati (@tv9gujarati) March 10, 2020
Leadership is not everyone’s cup of tea. Or coffee.
— Sanjay Jha (@JhaSanjay) March 10, 2020
Not just Congress leaders, political strategist and former JD(U) leader Prashant Kishor also criticised Scindia, saying he had little to show for except his last name.
Amazing that those who usually find fault with #Gandhis leading Congress because of their surname are finding a #scindia leaving #INC as big jolt for the party!
Fact is but for his surname even @JM_Scindia has little to show as mass leader, political organiser or administrator.
— Prashant Kishor (@PrashantKishor) March 10, 2020
Scindia comes from a royal family in Gwalior. His grandmother Vijayaraje Scindia was a leader of the Jana Sangh, the BJP’s precursor. His father Madhavrao Scindia had also started out as a Jana Sangh leader before moving to Congress.
Also read: How BJP tapped Jyotiraditya Scindia’s isolation in Congress to make him quit the party
BJP reactions
While Jyotiraditya Scindia hasn’t yet officially joined the BJP, its leaders were jubilant at the developments, calling it ‘ghar wapsi’ and ‘a great Holi’.
BJP leader Scindia’s aunt Yashodhara Scindia expressed happiness at the “ghar wapsi”.
Yashodhara Scindia, BJP leader & aunt of Jyotiraditya Scindia: I am very happy and congratulate him. This is 'ghar vapasi'. Madhavrao Scindia had started his political career with Jan Sangh. Jyotiraditya was being neglected in Congress. pic.twitter.com/m3Rtml7XrE
— ANI (@ANI) March 10, 2020
Assam finance minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who had quit the Congress in 2015, welcomed Scindia into the BJP fold.
A great #Holi this is!
Heartening to see old colleague, & very dynamic Sri @JM_Scindia having come to the fold of @BJP4India, a party that's a rangoli of all colors & believes in taking everyone along.
We shall have a great time together #JyotiradityaScindia ji.#MadhyaPradesh
— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) March 10, 2020
With inputs from PTI.
Also read: One Dynasty Dimming, we said of the Gandhis & Congress