New Delhi: Congress's Priyanka Gandhi Vadra hit out today at friend-turned-rival Jyotiraditya Sindia, branding him a "traitor" who has "betrayed" the mandate of the people. Speaking at Datia, Madhya Pradesh, on the last day of campaigning, she said, "All of their (the BJP's) leaders are a little weird. First our Scindia... I have worked with him in UP, Actually, his height is a little short but in arrogance, 'waah bhai waah'".
"Any worker who used to go to him, said, 'We have to call him Maharaj and if we don't say that, our issues will not get addressed'. He followed his family's tradition well. Many have betrayed, but they betrayed the public of Gwalior and Chamba... He made the government fall," she said.
Mr Scindia hit back, saying Ms Gandhi Vadra should look in the mirror before teaching a lesson on arrogance.
In a post on X, formerly Twitter, in Hindi, Mr Scindia said the general secretary of the grand old party who accused his family of having a tradition of 'betrayal' is a "part-time leader".
"As she is the part-time leader, I do not expect her to have the ability to understand the difference between these two traditions--the sons of which family sacrificed their lives to protect Mother India from the Afghans, the Mughals and the Britishers--and who gave Indian land as a gift to China. The second generation of which family had imposed an emergency in the greed for power? And even today, the present generation of which family is defaming the country by going to foreign forums?... Before teaching a lesson to the ego that weighs ability with height, please take a look in the mirror yourself." he wrote.
"The Scindia family has repeatedly changed the rule of corrupt and promise-breaking people, and the people of Madhya Pradesh are going to sweep you (Congress) away from the state," he added.
Mr Scindia, who shifted to the BJP in 2020, has been bitterly attacking the Congress over the last weeks, accusing them of doing nothing for the women of the state, giving Rahul Gandhi "special treatment" and failing to bring development.
There is speculation that the erstwhile royal has been hoping to get the top job in the state – an aspiration which became evident in 2018. After the party's victory in the state that year, Rahul Gandhi persuaded him to take a backseat, leaving the top job for party veteran Kamal Nath.
Mr Scindia had complied, but two years later, crossed over to the BJP with over 20 MLAs, bringing down the Kamal Nath government in the process.
Mr Scindia, though, has denied that he has any such ambition. Asked about the matter earlier this month, he said, "Never include the Scindia family in the race for the chair. The Scindia family works day and night with a passion for development, progress and public service".
Madhya Pradesh goes to polls on Friday along with Chhattisgarh, which will be casting its vote for the second phase. Today was the last day of campaigning in both states.