Jyotiraditya Scindia: chance intruder into politics, is now the Civil Aviation Minister

Bhopal:Catapulted into the political sphere by destiny in the wake of his father Madhavrao Scindia’s demise in a plane crash in 2001, Mr Jyotiraditya Scindia – now a Bharatiya Janata Party stalwart – was first elected to Parliament from Guna in Madhya Pradesh on a Congress ticket in 2002 in a by-election necessitated by the death of his father, a seasoned politician who had no less than nine consecutive terms in Lok Sabha.Civil Aviation Ministry has been given to the young and dynamic leader of Tiger State.

From 2002-04, he served as Member, Standing Committee on Finance and Member, Standing Committee on External Affairs. In 2004, he was elected to the 14th Lok Sabha and served with the committees on Estimates, Petitions; Standing committees on Defence and Finance, it was officially learnt.

On April 6, 2008, he assumed the mantle of Minister of State for Communications and Information Technology. The following year, he was elected to the 15th Lok Sabha. From 2009 to October 28, 2012; he was MoS (Commerce and Industry) and then held independent charge as MoS (Power).

In May 2014, Mr Scindia was elected to the 16th Lok Sabha and from September 1 that year he was Member of the Committee on Privileges, Standing Committee on Finance and Consultative Committee, Home Affairs Ministry.

In the 2019 general election, he lost Guna to Dr Krishnapal Singh Yadav, who scored his maiden victory from that parliamentary constituency long considered a virtually-impregnable Scindia citadel.

En masse resignations by Scindia-loyalist legislators resulted in the curtain descending on Madhya Pradesh’s Kamal Nath dispensation, which was in the saddle for about 15 months only.

Following his entering saffron ranks, Mr Scindia was elected to the Rajya Sabha in June 2020 and from July that year is Member, Committee on Education, Women, Children, Youth and Sports and – from June this year – Member, Committee on External Affairs.

He was married on December 12, 1994 to Priyadarshini. The couple has a son and a daughter.

Mr Scindia’s special interests are cricket, swimming, reading and wildlife conservation. He is widely travelled.

The positions held by him include Chairman, The Scindia School, the Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association and the Madhav Institute of Technology and Sciences; Director, Scindia Investments Private Limited, Mumbai and Board Member, Scindia Kanya Vidyalaya.

On April 6, 2008; Mr Scindia assumed the mantle of Minister of State for Communications and Information Technology. The following year, he was elected to the 15th Lok Sabha. From 2009 to October 28, 2012; he was MoS (Commerce and Industry) and then held independent charge as MoS (Power). In May 2014, Mr Scindia was elected to the 16th Lok Sabha and from September 1 that year he was Member of the Committee on Privileges, Standing Committee on Finance and Consultative Committee, Home Affairs Ministry. In the 2019 general election, he lost Guna to Dr Krishnapal Singh Yadav who scored his maiden victory from that parliamentary constituency long considered a virtually-impregnable Scindia citadel.

En masse resignations by Scindia-loyalist legislators resulted in the curtain descending on Madhya Pradesh’s Kamal Nath dispensation, which was in the saddle for about 15 months only.

Following his entering saffron ranks; Mr Scindia was elected to the Rajya Sabha in June 2020 from Madhya Pradesh and from July that year is Member, Committee on Education, Women, Children, Youth and Sports and – from June this year – Member, Committee on External Affairs.He was married on December 12, 1994 to Priyadarshini. The couple have a son and a daughter.

Mr Scindia’s special interests are cricket, swimming, reading and wildlife conservation. He is widely travelled. The positions held by him include Chairman, The Scindia School, the Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association and the Madhav Institute of Technology and Sciences; Director, Scindia Investments Private Limited, Mumbai and Board Member, Scindia Kanya Vidyalaya.(UNI)