Madhavrao Scindia death anniversary: Former Union Minister and Indian National Congress leader Madhavrao Scindia, popularly referred to as the Maharaja of Gwalior, died in a tragic plane crash on this day in 2001.
Madhavrao Scindia, popularly referred to as the Maharaja of Gwalior, died in a tragic plane crash on this day in 2001. Born in 1945, just years before the Independence, Madhavrao Scindia is still remembered as the suave king who never lost an election ever since he took to politics.
Madhavrao Scindia passed away at the age of 56, leaving behind a legacy of the rich heritage of the princely state of Gwalior. As he took the political plunge after returning to India finishing his studies abroad, Madhavrao Scindia joined the Jana Sangh, the predecessor of today’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
However, he soon parted ways with Jana Sangh and his mother Vijayaraje Scindia during the Emergency rule under the Indira Gandhi regime. Soon, Madhavrao Scindia became a crucial cog in the Congress wheel from 1980 onwards.
In 1984, Madhavrao Scindia trumped BJP stalwart Atal Bihari Vajpayee by a margin of over 2,00,000 votes in Gwalior. One of Madhavrao Scindia’s election workers commented that the “throne” was not “negotiable”. Scindia then went on to never lose an election.
Scindia was known to be close to the Gandhi family with him being a friend of Rajiv Gandhi from his Cambridge days. He was also close to Sonia Gandhi after the demise of Rajiv Gandhi.
As the civil aviation minister, Madhavrao Scindia started the “open sky” policy which led to competition in both international and domestic aviation. Madhavrao Scindia was even touted as the next big thing in the Congress ranks. However, the possibilities were cut short by the untimely and tragic demise of Madhavrao Scindia in the 2001 plane crash.
