Modi govt 3.0 cabinet: Jyotiraditya Scindia becomes new telecom minister

Scindia's political journey took a turn in 2020 when he resigned from the Congress party, triggering a political crisis that led to the collapse of the Kamal Nath government in Madhya Pradesh

Jyotiraditya Scindia solidified his importance for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) by winning the Guna Lok Sabha (LS) constituency in Madhya Pradesh (MP) with a huge margin of 540,929 votes in the recent election.

Understandably, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has promoted him to telecommunications minister from his pre-election role as civil aviation minister in the new Cabinet. He will also retain charge of the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region.

Jyotiraditya is the grandson of Jiwajirao Scindia, the last Maharaja of the princely state of Gwalior. His father, the late Madhavrao Scindia, was a senior Congress leader and a former Union minister. Following his father’s death in a plane crash in 2001, Jyotiraditya formally joined the Congress party.

Jyotiraditya made his electoral debut in 2002, winning the Guna LS seat in a by-election. He went on to win four consecutive terms from the constituency, establishing himself as a prominent leader in the state.

In 2008, he served as Minister of State (MoS) for Telecommunications, Posts, and Information Technology; in 2009 as MoS for Commerce and Industry, and then in 2012 as Minister of Power (Independent Charge).

However, Jyotiraditya’s political journey took a turn in 2020 when he resigned from the Congress party, triggering a political crisis that led to the collapse of the Kamal Nath government in MP. His subsequent switch to the BJP was seen as a significant coup for the party.

In the Modi government’s second term, Scindia was appointed as civil aviation minister, a crucial portfolio considering India’s rapidly growing aviation sector.

Jyotiraditya was recognised for his straightforward approach as a minister, with a strong command of the intricate matters within the Indian aviation sector. In internal meetings, he was not hesitant to hold airline and airport executives accountable whenever they were found to be lacking.

As telecommunications minister, his responsibilities will include notifying the rules governing the landmark Telecommunications Bill, along with the framing of guidelines for satellite spectrum, which is expected to keep Jyotiraditya occupied in the coming months. However, successfully conducting a spectrum auction, currently set for June 25, would rank as his highest priority.