The Bharatiya Janata Party’s leader in-charge in Madhya Pradesh Muralidhar Rao on Sunday asserted that his party colleague Jyotiraditya Scindia was the “leader of the entire BJP”, reported PTI. Rao also assuaged doubts that the politicians, who had in March switched over from the Congress following Scindia’s lead, were feeling insecure.
“He is the leader of the entire BJP,” Rao said when asked if Scindia loyalists were not getting sufficient representation in the party’s state executive committee. “Scindia or those who have come with him to the party have no feeling of insecurity. All these leaders may have come from anywhere, now they have gelled with the BJP.”
Rao dismissed questions on providing adequate representation to the turncoats. “Tell me what is this adequate space?” he said, according to PTI. “Have all our workers, who worked tirelessly to enrol one crore members in the [state] BJP got an opportunity [in the newly set up executive committee]?”
The BJP leader also highlighted that ministerial berths were given to “those who came to the BJP along with Scindia” instead of senior party leaders. “Actually, there is no issue of giving more or less weightage to any leader in the BJP,” he added.
In March, the Kamal Nath-led Congress government in Madhya Pradesh collapsed after 22 MLAs, considered close to Scindia, resigned. They later joined the BJP. Scindia, who also joined the saffron party on March 11, was named the party’s Rajya Sabha candidate from the state. Many of the rebel MLAs were given ministerial posts in the Shivraj Singh Chouhan-led government.
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