Congress leader justifies Scindia's exit; says 'Elders must make way for youngsters'

Senior Congress leader Satyajit Gaekwad on Tuesday defended and justified Jyotiraditya Scindia's exit from the party. According to him, elders in the party must make way for the youngsters to play leadership roles. Calling Scindia a very educated, intelligent and mature leader, he stated that Scindia did not leave the party for "position or post." 

Speaking to the news agency, ANI, he said, "Whatever is happening in Madhya Pradesh is very bad for Congress. Kamal Nath was made the chief minister because he was a senior leader. The youngsters demanded that Scindia be made the state president but he was not appointed to the post." 

He added, "There might have been some decision that he wanted the government to take but the government didn't. Scindia leaving the party will force the youth to think that if the leader of his stature was ignored then who will hear their voice. The old generation is not leaving the leadership and therefore the new generation is not able to find leadership opportunities." 

Scindia resigns from Congress

After two days of heavy political drama, the former Guna MP, Jyotiraditya Scindia formally submitted his resignation to Congress interim chief Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday, after all the talks of mediation failed. Jyotiraditya Scindia resigned from the party soon after he met Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the latter's residence along with former BJP party chief Amit Shah. Moreover, 22 MLAs who support him have tendered their resignation from their Bengaluru resorts - where they have been holed up for the past few days. 

Read: Madhavrao then, Jyotiraditya now - Scindia dumps Congress in a repeat of history

Scindia has been miffed about not being elected CM and not being elected as  Madhya Pradesh Congress chief - both of which were given to Nath. The Congress MLAs have turned on him terming him a 'traitor'. Currently, Kamal Nath has called all his MLAs to an emergency meeting but only 45 MLAs of the remaining 90-odd MLAs have attended.

Read: Congress' Manish Tewari slams Jyotiraditya Scindia; says 'Traitors have become captains'

MP Assembly's current scenario

With the current halfway mark at 114 in the 228-MLA assembly, BJP currently holds 107 MLAs of its own. Congress which held 114 MLAs - has now been reduced to 92 MLAs. The resignation of 22 MLAs, has also brought down the halfway mark to 103. 4 more MLAs are poised to resign, as per sources. The Speaker is yet to accept any of these resignations.

Read: Congress supporters raise 'Goli maaro' slogans targeting Scindia outside Kamal Nath's home

Read: After Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka Congress requests State government to not implement NPR

(With ANI Inputs)