Madhya Pradesh Assembly elections: Why Congress should declare Jyotiraditya Scindia as MP chief minister
With the Congress making a comeback in the state of Madhya Pradesh a full 15 years later, with the party possibly crossing the halfway mark for the first time ever, the crucial question now facing it is whom it will appoint as the state chief minister.
The two leaders leading the race are Kamal Nath and Jyotiraditya Scindia.
The Congress should declare Scindia as the CM of the state because he enjoys an edge over Kamal Nath in his ability to connect with the youth — which forms 44 per cent of the voters in the region. His royal lineage and legacy from dedicated Congressman, his father Madhavrao Scindia, also work for him by way of adding to his appeal in front of the voters.
Scindia, who is 47 years old, should be given precedence over Nath, who is 72.
India is a young country and it is high time the leadership of the country is handed over to young leaders in order to serve the young aspirational masses.
Young Jyotiraditya Scindia was appointed as the chairperson of the (Election) Campaign Committee for the Congress — and he seems to have clearly delivered for the party.
It is not just age that is on Scindia’s side.
He has also done very positive work at the grassroots level.
The member of Parliament from the Guna-Shivpuri constituency, who secured a win during the last Lok Sabha elections in 2014, despite most of his party colleagues facing defeat amid a widespread Narendra Modi wave at that time, toured hundreds of Assembly constituencies, campaigning for his party in the run-up to the state elections.
While Nath, who was appointed president of the state unit in April, has also worked hard, he is reputed to spend a lot of time away from the state and overseas as well.
He has been a nine-time MP from Chhindwara, but is not known to hold much sway outside Chhindwara. If anything, he is known as a 'Dilli Darbari'.
While his experience is valued by the party, what actually works against Nath is that he lacks a pro-poor image.
Unlike the old guard, Scindia is not known to have made any controversial remarks during his campaigning in the state.
In Parliament, mostly seen alongside Congress president Rahul Gandhi, Scindia is known to make well-nuanced speeches and raises issues concerning the public.
The mandate in Madhya Pradesh is one of change.
People clearly want a leader in whom they see hope to deliver the proverbial acche din. If it wins, by then declaring Scindia as its CM, the Congress could well send out the right signals that it is ready to provide the leadership the country is looking forward to.
Also read: Assembly election results: 12 parties that have quit the BJP-led NDA since 2014