New Delhi:
Congress’s Priyanka Gandhi Vadra hit out today at friend-turned-rival Jyotiraditya Sindia, branding him a “traitor” who has “betrayed” the mandate of the people. Speaking at Datia, Madhya Pradesh, on the last day of campaigning, she said, “All of their (the BJP’s) leaders are a little weird. First our Scindia… I have worked with him in UP, Actually, his height is a little short but in arrogance, ‘waah bhai waah'”.
“Any worker who used to go to him, said, ‘We have to call him Maharaj and if we don’t say that, our issues will not get addressed’. He followed his family’s tradition well. Many have betrayed, but they betrayed the public of Gwalior and Chamba… He made the government fall,” she said.
Mr Scindia, who shifted to the BJP in 2020, has been bitterly attacking the Congress over the last weeks, accusing them of doing nothing for the women of the state, giving Rahul Gandhi “special treatment” and failing to bring development.
There is speculation that the erstwhile royal has been hoping to get the top job in the state – an aspiration which became evident in 2018. After the party’s victory in the state that year, Rahul Gandhi persuaded him to take a backseat, leaving the top job for party veteran Kamal Nath.
Mr Scindia had complied, but two years later, crossed over to the BJP with over 20 MLAs, bringing down the Kamal Nath government in the process.
Mr Scindia, though, has denied that he has any such ambition. Asked about the matter earlier this month, he said, “Never include the Scindia family in the race for the chair. The Scindia family works day and night with a passion for development, progress and public service”.
Madhya Pradesh goes to polls on Friday along with Chhattisgarh, which will be casting its vote for the second phase. Today was the last day of campaigning in both states.