'Maharaj' Forced To Leave Congress, Reveals Jyotiraditya Scindia Camp

Jyotiraditya Scindia's exit from the party along with his supporters has not only come as an embarrassment to the Congress leadership at the Centre, it has also put the Kamal Nath government in Madhya Pradesh on the edge. The battle is being fought in the courts but it is evident that Nath does not have the numbers to prove his majority in a floor test.

Sources close to Scindia have told CNN-News18 that the scion was compelled to leave the Congress largely due to the cold shoulder and "pariah" treatment given to him and his supporters by Nath and Digvijaya Singh. Further, the listless approach by the Congress central Leadership and Rahul Gandhi distancing himself from party work added to the pain and anguish of the ‘Maharaj’.

In an exclusive interaction with a key aide of Scindia, CNN-News18 was able to glean eight key reasons, both political and personal, which "forced" Scindia to exit the party after 18 years of service.

First, the farm loan waiver as promised by the Congress in its manifesto was not carried out even after 18 months in power. Rahul Gandhi had claimed the party would implement the promise in 10 days or change the chief minister.

Second, corruption is rampant in the current regime — transfer 'udyog' and the sand mafia are in full play.

Third, the youth agenda has not been fulfilled and the promise of dole not honoured.

Fourth, Scindia had been raising these issues vocally for the last year for which he has been consistently berated by Nath and Singh.

Fifth, the frustration has been taken out on his MLAs and workers. Scindia's 'karyakartas' and MLAs were consistently harassed by the state leadership and by local authorities for the last year over minor issues.

Sixth, ideas to revive the grassroots based on feedback of people was not taken into account. Scindia tried several times to impress upon the need to do deep introspection and insisted that the congress needs to change with the times and the aspirations of the people but no action was taken.

Seventh, after the state elections in 2018, a private meeting was held over dinner with him, Nath and Singh, but it ended in acrimony as Nath was not interested in working with him once he had become the chief minister.

Lastly, Nath and Singh deliberately tried to undermine Scindia's position to the central leadership and in the state.