Jyotiraditya Scindia joins BJP, pledges to serve people

New Delhi: A day after resigning from the Congress party and snapping his 18-year-old ties with the party, former Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Wednesday joined BJP in the presence of a galaxy of leaders of the lotus party. 

Scion of the Scindia family, Jyotiraditya had lost 2019 Lok Sabha elections from Guna in his home state of Madhya Pradesh. Though he was made in charge of West U.P. as party general secretary where the Congress drew a blank in the last Lok Sabha elections, Mr Scindia was reported to be unhappy with the turn of events in the party. 

Amid speculations of switching his loyalty to the BJP where his aunts Vasundhara Raje and Yashodhara Raje occupy senior positions, Mr Scindia formally joined the BJP on Wednesday after meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah during the past 24 hours. 

Addressing journalists at the BJP headquarters after his formal induction in the party, Mr Scindia expressed confidence in the leadership of Prime Minister Modi, saying the country's future  was in safe hands. He said that politics for him was a means to serve the people and contribute towards national development. 

Present on the dais along with Mr Scindia were BJP President J P Nadda who gave him the party membership, Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, party Vice President and MP Vinay Sahasrabuddhe, general secretaries Arun Singh and Anil Jain.

In his brief remarks, Mr Scindia said that there was a denial of reality in Congress and the party appears to have become static.  

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi got the biggest mandate in history,  he improved the global image of India. India's future is safe in his hands", said Mr Scindia.

Targeting the Congress government in Madhya Pradesh, Mr Scindia said that in the last 18 months, the State government had failed to fulfill promises made by the party. He alleged that transfer-posting had become a source of corruption in the State where corruption was flourishing without any check.  

"Loan waiver of farmers was not taken up, bonus of last harvest has still not been given, thousands of farmers are still facing cases in Mandsaur firing, unemployment allowance has also not been given,'' he said. 

``I am feeling sad because of the situation which has arisen. I can say that Congress is not doing public service and it is not the same party anymore,'' he said. Referring to his father Madhav Rao Scindia who had died in a plane crash in U.P. on September 30, 2001, he said that his father always used politics as a means to serve the people and the country.

Stating that he took the decision to leave the Congress on March 10 this year which happened to be 75th birth anniversary of his father, Mr Scindia said that he would use the platform of the BJP to serve the people of Madhya Pradesh and devote his energies to the development of the country. ``In my life, these two dates -- September 30 and March 10 -- have played an important role,'' he added. 

Earlier, Mr Nadda while welcoming Mr Scindia in the party fold, said that it was like homecoming for a family member. He expressed confidence that Mr Scindia would help in taking the BJP to new and glorious heights. Mr Nadda recalled that Vijaya Raje Scindia, grandmother of Mr Scindia, was a founding member of the BJP.(UNI)