Is union minister Jyotiraditya Scindia planning to contest Lok Sabha polls from his former turf Guna-Shivpuri in Madhya Pradesh?
The increased people contact activities of Scindia in the region has given rise to speculations that the Rajya Sabha member might be pitted by the BJP in Guna-Shivpuri or Gwalior constituency – both in the area of the union minister’s influence.
Scindia had lost the Guna-Shivpuri seat in the 2019 LS polls as a Congress candidate to his former supporter K.P. Yadav by a huge margin. This loss was seen as one of the major turning points for Scindia’s career and a spur for his decision to join the BJP 10 months later in March 2020.
Though Scindia still has a considerable tenure of his Rajya Sabha membership left (till March 2026), there is likelihood that the BJP might cast him in the Lok Sabha arena to ensure a victory on a crucial seat of the Gwalior-Chambal region. With Scindia switching over to the BJP, the party managed to win 18 out of the 34 seats in the Gwalior-Chambal region in 2023 assembly polls, compared to just seven seats in 2018 polls.
Political watchers feel that the saffron party would like to make maximum use of ex-royal’s influence in the region during the LS polls too. Scindia’s personal candidature in the LS polls will only enhance the support for him and the party, it is being felt.
The union minister was on a five-day tour of all eight assembly seats of Guna-Shivpuri LS constituency between February 3 and 7. Earlier on January 21-22, the union minister visited Guna, Ashoknagar and Shivpuri districts in the same LS constituency under the Vikasit Bharat Sankalp Yatra of the BJP.
The Guna-Shivpuri LS constituency includes Kolaras, Shivpuri and Picchore assembly seats in Shivpuri district, Bamori and Guna constituencies in Guna district and Mungaoli, Chanderi and Ashoknagar seats in Ashoknagar district.
During his latest visit, Scindia was seen engaging in various activities that sought to bring him closer to the common people. He was seen beating drums, playing gilli-danda and sitolia (seven stones) games, trying hands at traditional archery, shaking hands and taking selfies with players participating in the Sansad (Member of Parliament) sports festival. He also met small traders and discussed their issues.
Scindia also participated in tribal conventions in Bamori assembly constituency and Chanderi of Ashoknagar district, Dhakad-Kirar community convention in Guna, Kori-Jatav community convention in Chanderi, Dangi community convention n Mungaoli during the visit. He repeatedly mentioned the historical association of his family with the region.
In contrast to his earlier elitist image, Scindia was seen stopping at various points on his official route, meeting vegetable, fruits vendors and drinking tea at a kiosk.
Earlier, during the January visit, he was seen getting angry with the Guna district collector and superintendent of police and asking them to remain on the dais during the programme.
In an indication that Scindia was a likely candidate for LS polls, his staunch supporter and former state minister Mahendra Singh Sisodia demanded a ticket for Scindia from BJP for the polls during a public event in Bamori of Guna district. Sisodia said that it was a heartfelt wish of the people and the workers of Guna-Shivpuri to see Scindia as the member of LS from the constituency again and that as a former MLA and representative of the people; he was urging the party (BJP) president to give candidature to the union minister.
Scindia himself, however, evaded direct answer to questions of media persons during the visit as to whether he was an aspirant for the LS polls. The union minister said that his only desire and intention was to strengthen the region, to bring development and progress for people and to promote the skills of the people of every district.
