NEW DELHI:Before arriving in the Capital to take his place in the rejigged Narendra Modi ministry, Jyotiraditya Scindia was seen offering prayers at Ujjain's famous Mahakaleshwar temple.
Scindia's prayers have been answered by the Prime Minister. His elevation to the Union Cabinet is a clear indication that the BJP intends to project the former Congressman as one of its principal faces in Madhya Pradesh.
Once a rising young star in the Congress, Scindia jumped ship to join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 2020 following differences with the leadership of his former party.
Born in 1971, Scindia belongs to the House of Scindias, which once ruled Gwalior, and is now a Member of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha representing Madhya Pradesh.
The grandson of Vijayaraje Scindia, who was one of the founders of the BJP, Jyotiraditya Scindia is also a former long-time Lok Sabha MP. He represented the Guna constituency in Madhya Pradesh from 2002, when he won it in a by-election caused by his father Madhavrao Scindia's death, till his defeat in the 2019 general election.
When he was a member of the Congress, Scindia was the Minister of State with independent charge for Power in the Manmohan Singh ministry from October 2012 until May 2014.
Scindia has clearly been rewarded for helping the BJP topple Kamal Nath and form the government in Madhya Pradesh. The ruling party also hopes to cash in on Scindia's reputation to strengthen its presence in the state.