Journalism of Courage
Madhya Pradesh minister Yashodhara Raje Scindia’s announcement that she would not be contesting the forthcoming Madhya Pradesh Assembly elections has triggered speculation if her Shivpuri seat is being vacated for her nephew and Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia.
Addressing a gathering in Shivpuri Thursday, Yashodhara said, “I had resolved earlier that I was not going to contest elections. I want to thank you all. In a way, this is my goodbye. I have always tried to follow the footsteps of my mother, Rajmata Raje Scindia. It was with her inspiration that I took this decision. Today I pray to all of you that you all will support me in this decision.”
She went on to add that time has passed and that a new generation should come forward. The move follows a letter she had written in August to the BJP top brass about her decision not to contest the elections due this year-end.
State BJP chief V D Sharma has said that Yashodhara is taking a step back due to health issues.
BJP insiders are, however, trying to figure out the party’s plans for the Shivpuri constituency. Speculation has gained ground in the BJP circles especially because of the party’s strategy to bring in Union ministers to the MP fray for combating the perceived “anti-incumbency” against the Shivraj Singh Chouhan-led government.
“There are chances that Jyotiraditya Scindia may also be fielded from either her (Yashodhara) constituency or a neighbouring constituency. The state leadership is waiting for the next list. The issue will be cleared then. Anything is possible,” a senior state BJP leader said.
Jyotiraditya has not contested an Assembly seat so far, having made his political debut in 2002 by winning the Guna Lok Sabha bypoll necessitated due to the death of his father and senior Congress leader Madhavrao Scindia.
Four-time Shivpuri MLA
Yashodhara, who handles the sports, youth welfare, technical education and skill development and employment ministries in the Chouhan government, is the youngest daughter of Jivajirao Scindia (the last ruling Maharaja of Gwalior) and Vijayaraje Scindia (a prominent BJP leader).
She entered politics in 1998, winning the Shivpuri Assembly seat. She retained the seat in 2003 and became a minister for the first time.
Yashodhara resigned from the Assembly in 2007 and went on to win the Lok Sabha elections in 2009 from Gwalior. She won the seat again in the next Lok Sabha polls.
She made her return to state politics in 2013 and contested from Shivpuri again. Following the BJP’s victory, she was again inducted as a minister by CM Chouhan, who allotted her the commerce, industries and employment portfolios.
She held these portfolios till the 2018 polls, which the BJP lost to the Congress. In 2020, after the BJP returned to power following the defection of Jyotiraditya and his loyalist MLAs, she was given her current portfolios.
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