New Delhi, March 11 The political crisis in Madhya Pradesh has seen Congress leader and former Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia switching over to the BJP, ending his 18-year-old association with the grand old party. Who made this transition for Scindia a smooth process? Who in the BJP was tasked with bringing Scindia to the saffron party's camp?
Turns out, Zafar Islam, a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson and a well-known face in the media, is the man who played a key role in bringing Scindia into the BJP fold.
Before entering politics, Islam worked for a foreign bank and drew a hefty salary. Later, influence by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's brand of politics, he joined the BJP.
It's said the soft-spoken Islam enjoys a "good relation" with Modi, and perhaps that's why the BJP high command handed him the responsibility of getting Scindia.
According to sources, Islam knows Scindia since a long time and both used to meet often during the former union minister's stay in Delhi. However, since the last five months, Zafar was meeting Scindia "too often", apparently to bring the latter to BJP camp.
Sources said both have met "at least five times" recently. And after the meeting, Islam used to present the "conclusions and derivations" before the BJP high command. It was only after those meetings, and a careful study of their outcomes, efforts to bring Scindia to saffron party's camp and the "Operation Lotus" began, sources said.
According to sources, "in the entire operation, only logistic and other support was provided to the BJP... the entire operation went according to Jyotiraditya Scindia".
Even on Monday and Tuesday, Jafar was present at 7, Lok Kalyan Marg during Jyotiraditya Scindia's meeting with Prime Minister Modi.
In fact, when Home Minister Amit Shah went to Modi's residence along with Scindia, Islam was present in the car.
( With inputs from IANS )