NEW DELHI, 19 December 2001 — Late Congress leader Madhavrao Scindia’s son, Jyotiraditya Scindia, formally joined the Congress in the presence of party chief Sonia Gandhi yesterday.

His formal admission into the party gives a clear indication that he is going to be the Congress nominee for the Guna Lok Sabha seat that was represented by his father.

The junior "maharaja" of the erstwhile princely state of Gwalior, called on Sonia Gandhi at her residence at 10 Janpath in New Delhi to complete the formalities.

He was accompanied by mother Madhviraje, wife Priyadarshani, sister Chitraganda Singh and brother-in-law Vikramaditya Singh. Besides Scindia family members, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Digvijay Singh, Congress Working Committee member Arjun Singh, AICC treasurer Motilal Vora, AICC General Secretary Kamal Nath, former Chief Minister Shyama Charan Shukla, Madhya Pradesh PCC President R.K. Malviya and former Governor Bhanu Pratap Singh were also present.

The AICC general secretary in charge of the state, Mohsina Kidwai, completed the formalities. She later told reporters that Sonia Gandhi herself made Jyotiraditya a primary and active member of the party.

Barring Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Ajit Jogi, almost all senior leaders from Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh came to the AICC headquarters to welcome the 30-year-old Scindia as he stepped into the political shoes of his father.

Born on Jan. 1, 1971, Jyotiraditya was educated at Doon School. He graduated from Harvard University in 1993 and obtained an MBA degree from Stanford University. To put into practice his administrative capabilities, he worked with Merrill Lynch in 1991, with the UN’s economic development cell in 1992 and Morgan Stanley between 1993 and 1997 in New York, Hong Kong and Bombay.

"I will abide by whatever decision the high command will take," Scindia said when asked whether he would prefer to be a party candidate from Guna or whether he would like to work with the Youth Congress or the "parent" body.

Scindia described Sonia Gandhi as a "pillar of strength" for him and his family since the death of his father. Fondly remembering Madhavrao, he said "The most difficult thing for a person is to be the son of a great man."

Asked whether he would form his own faction in the Madhya Pradesh Congress, the younger Scindia steered clear of the question by saying that he would work with the support and guidance of "elders" in the party.

A large number of people from Guna-Gwalior thronged the AICC headquarters here to witness his admission into the party.