India / Jyotiraditya Scindia quits Congress after 18 years following meeting with PM Modi

New Delhi: Jyotiraditya Scindia, who quit the Congress after meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday morning, is all set to join the Bharatiya Janata Party later in the evening, people aware of the development said.

There was no word on what transpired at Jyotiraditya Scindia’s meeting with Amit Shah and PM Modi.

A central election committee meeting of the BJP had been scheduled to meet on Tuesday evening to finalise the names for the candidates for the upcoming March 26 Rajya Sabha elections.

“So far it seems likely that he will formally join the BJP and his name could be proposed as a candidate from the BJP’s side in Madhya Pradesh,” said a BJP functionary.

Elections will be held to fill three seats falling vacant from the state; while the BJP and the Congress were both eyeing one seat each, both parties were readying for a contest on the third. A change of guard in the state will have an impact on the Rajya Sabha polls as well.

Two senior BJP functionaries declined to comment on speculation about a role for Scindia at the Centre, underlining that no such discussions have taken place. “Right now the focus is on what will happen in the state, if and when a floor test will be required, who will be the person in charge, etc.,” said the second functionary.

At least 19 Madhya Pradesh lawmakers have already sent across their resignation from the assembly to Raj Bhavan, an official said. The resignations could plunge the Kamal Nath government in a minority.

The Congress had 114 legislators in Madhya Pradesh assembly having effective strength of 228 and six others – two BSP, one SP and four independents - are supporting the government.

Scindia’s grandmother was among the founders of the Jana Sangh, the precursor to the Bharatiya Janata Party and was among the leaders imprisoned during Emergency. His aunts Vasundhara Raje is a former union minister and ex-chief minister of Rajasthan and Yashodhara Raje, a former minister in the Madhya Pradesh cabinet.

With him all set to join the BJP fold, the party is not only looking at the possibility of forming government in Madhya Pradesh after losing the assembly election in 2018; but also strengthening its position in the Gwalior-Chambal region of the state, considered a Scindia stronghold.