New Delhi, March 11 Hours after Rahul Gandhi, whose close if not closest associate in the party, Jyotiraditya Scindia, joined the BJP on Wednesday, the former Congress chief broke his silence, saying, "He was the only one who could walk into my house anytime".
Rahul Gandhi also rubbished Scidia's claim that he was unable to meet him and interim Congress President Sonia Gandhi, since that would be impossible for a person who had all access at all time to the Gandhi household.
Scindia earlier alleged that he had tried to reach out to Sonia Gandhi but could not do so. Rahul Gandhi, who was once seen winking to Scindia in the Lok Sabha with Prime Minister Narendra Modi making much of that episode, reacted to Scindia's departure from the party while speaking to reporters in the Parliament corridors on Wednesday.
With the Congress struggling to save its government in Madhya Pradesh, which is on the brink of collapse after 20 MLAs close to Scindia reportedly put in their papers, the party has taken its flock of MLAs to Jaipur where senior leaders are assigned to keep them together.
After joining the BJP, Scindia hit out at the Congress, saying, "The Congress today is not the same as it was in its original avatar."
He also accused the Congress of denying the ground reality. "I had a dream when Congress formed the government in Madhya Pradesh in 2018. Eighteen months later, none of the promises have been met, including the ones relating to the farmers," Scindia said.
He also accused his former party of going back on its promises as well as indulging in corruption. "Today 'transfer' is an industry in Madhya Pradesh," he alleged, hitting out at Chief Minister Kamal Nath.
It is believed that the BJP is likely to send him to the Rajya Sabha and accommodate him in the Union cabinet as well.
Also, if the BJP forms the government in Madhya Pradesh, Scindia's aides are likely to be inducted into the state cabinet taken under Shivraj Singh Chauhan.
His resignation on Tuesday came after his meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with Home Minister Amit Shah.
Scindia was reportedly upset after being sidelined in the state and preempting that Kamal Nath and Digvijaya Singh may have prevailed over interim Congress president Sonia Gandhi against sending him to the Upper House from Madhya Pradesh.
( With inputs from IANS )