Speaking about his former Congress ally-turned Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday said that Jyotiraditya Scindia could have become chief minister had he stayed in the party, but he has become a “backbencher” in the BJP, ANI reported. Scindia left the Congress in March last year and joined the BJP.

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“He would have become the chief minister had he stayed with Congress but Scindia has become a backbencher in the BJP,” Gandhi said while addressing to the Youth Wing of the party, ANI reported quoting sources.

“Scindia had the option to strengthen the organisation by working with Congress workers. I told him, ‘one day you will become the chief minister’, but he chose another route,” the Congress leader said.

Speaking further on the possibility of Scindia becoming the CM, Gandhi said, “Write it down, he’ll never become chief minister there. He will have to come back here for that.”

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Scindia, along with 22 Congress MLAs, had left the party in March, last year, which led to the fall of former CM Kamal Nath-led Congress government. BJP, later, former the government with Shivraj Singh Chouhan as the CM. Scindia currently serving as BJP’s MP in the Rajya Sabha.