Scindia must prove himself more before PM Modi fulfils his ministerial ambition

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Jyotiraditya Scindia at the BJP headquarters, New Delhi | Suraj Singh Bisht | ThePrint

Scindia’s nomination to Rajya Sabha panel a dampener to many

BJP leader Jyotiraditya Scindia’s nomination to a parliamentary standing committee Thursday has come as a dampener to many who were hoping to make it to the Cabinet. 

There was strong speculation in the corridors of power about the possibility of Prime Minister Narendra Modi going for a Cabinet reshuffle. Among other reasons cited was the need for Scindia’s induction in the government as a reward for switching his loyalty from the Congress in March.

Given that a minister cannot be a member of a parliamentary committee related to a ministry or department, Scindia’s nomination as a member of the committee on human resource development is seen as an indication that the PM may not go for a Cabinet revamp any time soon.

There are speculations that Scindia may be given a Cabinet berth, but now that he has been made a member of a parliamentary committee, Cabinet revamp is likely to take place later.

Rumours in the BJP suggest that Scindia has to prove himself more. He has already been rewarded with a Rajya Sabha berth and 14 of his loyalists were inducted in the Shivraj Singh Chouhan government in Madhya Pradesh. He must ensure victory of his 22 loyalists in the bypolls that are expected next month as the Chouhan government’s fate depends on the results of the bypolls.

BJP functionaries believe that if Scindia fails to ensure the victory of most of these turncoats, his wait for a Cabinet berth at the Centre will get much longer. 

The former Congress leader has already been cribbing to his friends about this attitude of the BJP central leadership. No wonder he is making his best efforts to bring down another Congress government in Rajasthan through his former-and-possibly-future party colleague, Sachin Pilot, BJP insiders say.

BJP unnerved by Brahmin anger against Yogi govt 

Congress leader Jitin Prasada’s attempt to mobilise the Brahmins in Uttar Pradesh at a time when discontentment with the Yogi Adityanath government is brewing among the community has got the BJP worried.

Brahmins constitute 10 per cent of the state’s population and the BJP can ill-afford to alienate them. The party leadership in the state is, therefore, taking feedback from Brahmin MLAs about the anger of their community against chief minister Adityanath. 

The community was already complaining about being side-stepped by the Thakur-dominated Adityanath dispensation and pointing out a series of murders of Brahmins across UP. 

Gangster Vikas Dubey’s high-profile ‘encounter’ didn’t help the matter. 

Grapevine has it that top leaders of the BJP’s UP unit have spoken to over three dozen Brahmin MLAs about their community’s grouse against the Adityanath government. These legislators have informed the party that no one in the UP government is listening to Brahmins, who are facing apathy of the local police and administration. 

One of the MLAs, however, said that Brahmins might be angry with the government but would remain loyal to the BJP as opposition parties were very weak. BJP functionaries say that Brahmins may be given prominent positions in the party organisation soon to send a message to the community.