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Updated: Mar 10, 2020 16:32 IST

Madhya Pradesh leader Jyotiraditya Scindia on Tuesday announced his exit from the Congress after meeting Union home minister Amit Shah and Prime Minister Narendra Modi at his 7, Lok Kalyan Marg residence. Scindia’s exit came against the backdrop of turmoil in the Madhya Pradesh Congress where at least 15 legislators have gone underground amidst buzz that the Kamal Nath government could fall.

Scindia’s letter, in which he spoke about a ‘’fresh start’’ to realise the aspiration of the people and his supporters, was dated a day earlier (9 March). It is not clear if he had submitted the letter before his meetings with Amit Shah or PM Modi. But moments after Scindia announced his decision to move out of the party, the Congress announced that party chief Sonia Gandhi had approved his expulsion from the party for “anti-party activities”.

Watch | Jyotiraditya Scindia resigns from Congress, likely to join the BJP

Jyotiraditya Scindia’s decision caps weeks and months of speculation about his plans. In his letter to Sonia Gandhi, Scindia alluded to developments in Madhya Pradesh Congress over the past year that he indicated, had led him to take the decision to walk out of the party.

‘’I am tendering my resignation from the primary membership of the Indian National Congress and as you well know, this is a path that has been drawing itself out over the last year,” Scindia, one of the most prominent faces of the Congress, said in his letter. He referred to his 18-year-long association with the Congress but underscored that ‘it is now time for me to move on’.

“While my aim and purpose remain the same as it has always been from the very beginning, to serve the people of my state and country, I believe I am unable to do this anymore within this party. To reflect and realise the aspirations of my people and my workers I believe it is best that I now look ahead at a fresh start,” he wrote.

The 49-year-old politician’s move is expected to plunge the Kamal Nath government into crisis. At least 15 MLAs including some ministers have remained incommunicado for the last 24 hours, leading to a series of meetings between Kamal Nath and senior leaders in Bhopal.

At a meeting of state ministers convened by chief minister Kamal Nath late on Monday evening, he had prepped for changes in the government and got his loyalists in the cabinet to hand over their resignation from the MP cabinet. It was an effort to reach out to Scindia.

Monday’s meeting between PM Modi and Scindia was also attended by Shah who accompanied the popular Congress leader to the PM’s residence. BJP leaders are hopeful that Scindia will join the saffron outfit very soon.

Congress leaders considered close to Scindia maintain that some senior leaders in the state were trying to sideline him ever since the government was formed last year. The Congress was able to form a government in Madhya Pradesh in December 2018 after a gap of 15 years.

“While Scindia was credited for sweeping seats in Gwalior-Bhind region, top state leaders treated him with disrespect and he had little say in the party-led government,” said a party strategist.

Former chief minister and senior Congress leader Digvivaya Singh had tried to persuade Scindia to stay back in the Congress, declaring that ‘anyone who is a true Congressman will not leave the party.’

Singh also slammed the BJP for orchestrating the trouble for the Kamal Nath government. He claimed that the three chartered flights which allegedly took 15-20 Congress MLAs to Bangalore was arranged by the BJP.

“The BJP is trying to topple the government as Kamal Nath government has given momentum to the Vyapam scam,” Singh said.

Scindia’s exit from the party may also alter the numbers for the three Rajya Sabha seats. just days ahead of the last day of filing of nominations for Rajya Sabha elections as three seats from Madhya Pradesh are going to polls.