Loyalists put MP Jyotiraditya Scindia in driver's seat at home turf Gwalior

BHOPAL: After plum portfolios in the Shivraj Singh Chouhan government, Rajya Sabha MP Jyotiraditya Scindia’s loyalists have been given control of districts of Gwalior-Chambal region in the CM’s nomination of ministers in-charge for all 52 districts in Madhya Pradesh late Wednesday late night.

The Scindia loyalists, including Tulsi Silawat, Govind Singh Rajput, Mahendra Singh Sisodiya, Pradumn Singh Tomar and Suresh Dhakad, were made in-charge ministers of Gwalior, Bhind, Shivpuri, Ashok Nagar, Datia and Guna districts, all part of the Gwalior-Chambal region, which is considered Scindia’s family bastion.

Union agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar’s loyalist Bharat Singh Kushwah, who was allocated Morena and Sheopur, was the only non-Scindia camp person to be handed over the charges of districts in the region. Both Morena and Sheopur districts are part of Tomar’s constituency.

Another powerful politician from the same region, home minister Narottam Mishra was made in-charge minister of Indore while CM Chouhan’s loyalist and urban development and housing minister Bhupendra Singh was allocated Bhopal district. The other Scindia loyalists, Brijendra Singh Yadav, Prabhuram Chowdhary, Rajvardhan Singh Datigaon and OPS Bhadoria, were allocated Mandsaur, Alirajpur, Dhar, Shajapur, Dhar, Sehore, Damoh and Harda districts.

Commenting on the appointments, Congress spokesperson Narendra Saluja said, “By rendering control of all the Gwalior-Chambal districts to Scindia loyalists, the CM has jolted his adversaries within the BJP, including Union minister Prahlad Patel and state BJP president VD Sharma.”

Securing place in BJP’s inner circles
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Currently, nine out of the 30 ministers in the MP government are Scindia loyalists, who hold plum portfolios. With this, the former Congressman has tightened his grip in the BJP.