"Kursi ka race Congress ko hai": Jyotiraditya Scindia slams Congress as polling continues in Madhya Pradesh

GWALIOR: Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Friday stressed that he has never been in the race for the post of Chief Minister, neither in 2013, 2018 and 2023.

The Union Minister also said that the race is for the development and growth of the country.

Polling for the 230-member Madhya Pradesh Assembly and 70 seats for the 90-member Chhattisgarh House is underway currently.

While polling for all seats in Madhya Pradesh is being held in a single phase currently, voting for 20 seats in the first phase of the Chhattisgarh polls was held on November 7.

Polling for the second phase in Chhattisgarh began at 8 pm and will continue till 3 pm. However, voting in nine polling stations of Bindranavagarh Assembly constituency is being held from 7 am to 3 pm.

Speaking to ANI about the polls, the BJP leader said, “I have always said that I am not in the race for the Chief Minister. I was never in the race, neither in 2013, 2018 or 2023. The race is for the development and growth under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi”.

BJP has not projected any Chief Ministerial candidate for the Madhya Pradesh polls and reiterated they will be fighting the elections with Prime Minister Narendra Modi as its party face.

Lashing out at Congress, he said, “Kursi ka race sirf Congress ko hai”. (Congres is only after power).

Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Wednesday hit back at Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra after the latter remarked on his height and said that she should look in the mirror before teaching a lesson on arrogance.

The war of words between Scindia and Priyanka Gandhi started when the Congress leader on Wednesday attacked her former party colleague, saying that the latter is “short in height but is high on arrogance”.

Recently, Priyanka Gandhi, addressing a public rally in Datia, Madhya Pradesh, also took a swipe at Scindia, calling him a ‘traitor’.

Voting for 230 Assembly seats in Madhya Pradesh began at 7 am on Friday.

The voters can cast their ballots until 6 pm, except in the Baihar, Lanji, and Parswara assembly seats of Balaghat district and some booths in Mandla and Dindori districts, where voting will be held until 3 pm.

The last state assembly polls in 2018 saw the Congress coming to power, with veteran leader Kamal Nath taking oath as the chief minister.

Later, a political upheaval rocked the state in 2020 after then-Congressman Jyotiraditya Scindia, along with 22 loyalist MLAs, switched over to the BJP camp.

The counting of votes for the five states including Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Telangana and Mizoram will be done on December 3.