| |
|
|
Scindias Still Uncrowned Kings, With A Little Sweat
By ugesh sarkar, Section More About The Scindia's
<center>
 </center><center>Madhavrao Scindia with mother Vijaya Raje Scindia at a time when they were still one happy family</center>Reconciling their royal past with democracy, and having ex tended the winning streak for so long, the Scindias have done what few royal families can boast of. For over five decades, at least one member of the fam ily has represented the erst while Gwalior kingdom in Parliament. They have won as candidates of national parN ties, as Independents, and even when they floated a re gional outfit. The family's political his tory began with the late Vijaya Raje Scindia, known popularly as Rajmata, winning from Guna in 1957. Since then, five more members of her family three children and two grandchildren have won polls from MP and Rajasthan. Winning in MP has never been an issue as the Scindias have always contested from areas that were a part of the vast kingdom, where they are still viewed as veritable rulers by many locals. In 1957, the Rajmata defeated V G Deshpande of the Hindu Mahasabha. The party won seats in the neighbouring areas but could not defeat the Scindia. In 1977, the Janata Party won 39 out of 40 seats in then undivided Madhya Pradesh. The only seat it could not pocket was Gwalior where Rajmata's son Madhavrao was the candidate. The only time a member of the family lost an election was when Vasundhara lost from Bhind in 1984. The Congress had given its best electoral performance fol lowing the assassination of Indira Gandhi. Her brother, Madhavrao Scindia, who was a Congress candidate, defeated Atal Bihari Vajpayee from Gwalior. Source: The Indian Express Scindias still uncrowned kings, with a little sweat Click On "Full Story" For More...
In 1967, Vijaya Raje engaged directly in state politics. She dislodged the Gov ernment and installed the first non-Con gress rule. The Rajmata had won as Con gress candidate twice before her differences with Indira Gandhi saw her joining the Jan Sangha. She even won as a candidate of the Swatantra Party, but re signed because she also won from Karera Assembly seat as a Jan Sangh candidate. In 1980, she contested against Indira Gandhi from Rae Bareli, but was de feated. In her autobiography, she said more than the defeat what rankled was her growing differences with Madhavrao.
Madhavrao contested his first election as an Independent in 1971. His winning streak was not broken even when he briefly parted ways with the Congress and contested as a Madhya Pradesh Vikas Congress candidate in 1996. In the by-election after Madhavrao's death, his son Jyotiraditya Scindia won from Guna. He is defending the seat, hav ing retained it in 2004. The family members follow an unwrit ten code of not contesting against each other despite their differences. Jyotira ditya's aunt Yashodhara Raje is contesting on a BJP ticket from Gwalior, a seat she won in a by-election in 2007.
Vasundhara Raje, Rajmata's daughter, headed the BJP government in Ra jasthan. Her son Dushyant is a BJP candi date from Jhalawar.
|
Related Links+ Scindias still uncrowned kings, with a little sweat+ More on News + Also by ugesh sarkar |
