Bhopal: “Tiger abhi zinda hai“, said Jyotiraditya Scindia soon after his supporters scored big in the Madhya Pradesh cabinet expansion today.
His one-liner, borrowed from a popular film title was clearly aimed at those who have been construing his three-month silence as a symbol of regret for having quit Congress.
Scindia quit his party of 19 years, Congress to join the BJP and was recently elected to the Rajya Sabha
“I don’t need any certificate from Kamal Nath nor Digvijaya Singh. The facts are before the people how they looted the state in 15 months,” he was quoted as saying by ANI.
“It is our duty to fight against injustice. Even if it means war, then Jyotiraditya Scindia will be on the frontlines. For the last two months, people have been trying to tarnish my character. I want to tell them – tiger abhi zinda hai (tiger is still alive),” he said, borrowing a popular Hindi film title, ANI reported.
Scindia was responding to questions on whether MLAs who crossed over to the BJP with him would find it challenging to win by-polls due in September to fill 24 vacancies in the Madhya Pradesh assembly, said the ANI report.
Congress fell short of 22 seats after its MLAs loyal to Jyotiraditya Scindia quit, bringing down the Kamal Nath government and enabling the BJP’s takeover. Two more MLAs died.
Eleven of the MLAs who crossed over with Scindia were rewarded with cabinet posts in Madhya Pradesh today. With this, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has a total tally of 34 ministers.
