The only surviving Maratha dynasty is split over the oldest curse of kingdoms: property. Split down the middle over its political affiliations for long, the House of Scindias now threatens to come apart over a real estate empire valued at Rs.20,000 crore.
In a litigious confrontation that will pit aunt against nephew, Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhara Raje Scindia (BJP) is battling her Congress MP nephew Jyotiraditya Scindia (son of her late brother and Congress heavyweight Madhavrao) for control of the wealthy charitable trusts set up by Vasundhara's mother, late Rajmata Vijaya Raje Scindia. She is flanked by her sisters - Yashodhara Raje(BJP) and Usha Raje. The focal point is Krishna Madhav Public Charitable Trust and His Highness Sir Maharaja Jivajirao Scindia Charitable Trust. Set up by Rajmata Vijaya Raje Scindia in 1966, the trusts own three multicrore properties in south Mumbai, which were gifted to the Rajmata. She had declared her daughters to be the sole trustees, which has been contested by the Harvard educated Jyotiraditya Scindia.
The rift although reaching courts now; was evident since decades. It began with the arrival of Madhavrao Scindia to India; four years after his departure to US in regards to pursue studies, following his father's death. Although Vijaya Raje, married to Jivajirao Scindia, Maharaja of Gwalior, one of the largest, richest and highest-ranking 21-gun-salute princely states in India; had an amiacable relationship with her late husband, she found solace in Sardar Sambhajirao Chandroji Angre. In her autobiography, she regretfully recounts how little sympathy she was able to extend to her two younger daughters in their troubled marriages. Madhavrao loathed this new diktat in the royal house and was often at loggerheads in this issue. When he asked Vijaya Raje to choose between the two, Raje choose Angre, adding fuel to the fire. Explaining"How could I desert a man who stood by me in my time of need?" Both often were in a state of spat against each other even in public, ever since. Indeed, when her will was read shortly after her death, it was found that she had forbidden her son from participating in her funerary obsequies. This is the ultimate castigation an orthodox Hindu can mete out to a son.
Following Indira Gandhi's abolition of privy purse in 1971; most of the royal families were financing her opponents, quickly squabbled under her. This is evident till date where numerous royal autocrats have Congress membership. But Vijaya Raje remained unfazed and remained openly in support of Jana Sangh - right-wing political party. Madhavrao traces the break to 1972, the year he wanted to opt out of his mother's party, the Jan Sangh, and join the Congress instead a chance.Scoffs Sardar Sambhajirao Chandroji Angre, 71, the Rajmata's companion for the last three decades, and a key player in the rift: "He chickened out because the Jan Sangh did not do so well in the 1972 Vidhan Sabha elections." Madhavrao jumped into the Indira bandwagon. Exerting great influence within the judiciary and police, he began asserting great pressure on his mother. Sale and donation of properties were put on hold. Backed by Indira, he even went to the extent of sending his mother to prison during the emergency era. The simmering tension came to a boil with the Emergency.The difference of ideologies and loyalty rifted relations between the two, which had been straining at the seams all along, snapped almost completely. After emergency, while Madhavrao contested on a Congress(I) ticket from Guna, his mother was the opposition candidate against Indira Gandhi from Rae Bareli. However, politics and economics are just the tip of the iceberg.
What began as a tiff over petty household officers, became a no-holds-barred battle after the 1980 assembly elections. Madhavrao's staff lodged an FIR against Angre, his daughter and the Rajmata's stepbrother, Dhyanendra Singh, now a minister in Madhya Pradesh.They were charged with breaking open a palace room and removing furniture. Many important family assets were seized and kept in status quo; eventhough Raje watched helplessly. Was her political inclinations going to be the fall of her property? A murky legal battle began for the 15 family trusts which control most of the property. The dispute is still pending. What irked Madhavrao most was the steady infiltration of the palace by RSS-run organisations. The flashpoint came in March 1982 when the Rajmata announced she would dedicate the palace to Vidya Bharati. Animosities were fuelled by Angre's arrest in July 1982. He was charged with theft of antiques from the palace museum, following a complaint from Madhavrao's staff. The BJP Government, after coming to power has since withdrawn the case. Yet, the fierce feud continued. Apparently, in August 1983, Madhavrao's armed supporters raided and captured three buildings in the Gwalior palace complex under the occupation of the Rajmata and Angre who were in London at that time. Angre's house, sealed by the administration subsequently, is still locked with his things lying inside. Angre, who claims "it was pure vendetta", hit back by filing a case of breach of trust and forgery against Madhavrao for occupying a Bombay flat belonging to a family trust in 1983. The Supreme Court, influenced by Indira ruled in Madhavrao's favour.
The Scindia family till date maintains the age old tradition of inter-royal marriages. So was the case with Vijaya Raje who was an aristocratic family exiled from Nepal(One of her daughters has been wed to a Nepali royal family heir and another; Vasundhra Raje was married to a Hemant Singh,ex-royal Dholpur family).
In the recently concluded Madhya Pradesh assembly elections,Jyotiraditya Scindia, the Congress's unofficial chief ministerial face has been campaigning in Shivpuri, an assembly seat that's part of his Lok Sabha constituency of Guna, wherein Yashodhara, his aunt is the BJP's candidate But the Maharaja of the erstwhile state of Gwalior is faced a humiliating rout in the results. Owing to Shivraj Singh Chauhan's efforts and charisma, the 'lotus bloom' is set to stay extremely vibrant, and most importantly for a long time to come. For Jyotiraditya Scindia, this, shall be hard to digest.
After an enormously painstaking efforts by Vasundhra Raje -Jyotiraditya Scindia's younger aunt , in the social service sector, coupled with the rising anti-incumbency against the ruling congress; Vasundhra had stormed into the Rajasthan government as a Chief Minister. Although, most of her period as CM saw enormous developmental and social projects such as Asia's biggest colony, per say; at the nearing of her tenure, she began to attract a lot of controversies. She did a ramp walk in an effort to revive Khadi garments, which also attracted huge funding for the people depending their lives on Khadi products. But in a state, still lingering in the medieval times, having a female authoritarian was "unacceptable". A female doing ramp walk in front of cheering crowds, although her intention was in the well-being of her citizens, did not go down well in the conservative society. The final blow came when, Vasundhara was caught hugging Biocon chief Mazumdar Shaw. The angle of the photoshot was such that, it gave a look of the duo in a lip-smooching. The media went berserk in humiliating Vasundhara calling it a "shahi pappi". Her own party members asked for her resignation, for this act. But undeterred she continued her work towards development and infrastructure projects. On the eve of elections, the opposition congress used this incident in a selfish manner, asking for the CM's apology and equating the incident as, "the humiliation of all womenfolk of Rajasthan". They conveniently choose to ignore the incident where the late Congress party's PM of India had hugged Benazir Bhutto - PM of Pakistan. These was hailed as a mark of 'friendship' by both the Congress party as well as the media.The congress's false promises of reservation, employment and the usual - freebies was a key in creating anti-incumbency, leading to the fall of Vasundhara led BJP, by a narrow margin. Many of her own party members, unable to take 'diktat' from a female had indulged in cross-voting. Nonetheless, the true face of Ghelot led congress government was exposed as soon as they assumed power, wherein they indulged in little developmet activities and more of 'giving subsidiaries and freebies' - resulting in the bankruptcy of the Government. Vasundhara stormed back to power in the next elections beating her opponents by a huge margin - a complete rout of congress.
As the BJP grows in strength with the Vasundhara as a chief minister, and as Madhavrao reaches for the top laurel in the Congress, the battle can only assume a keener edge.
(In pic: Vijaya Raje resists as Priyadarshini Raje Scindia, Jyotiraditya Scindia's wife tries to touch her mother-in-law's feet.)
In a litigious confrontation that will pit aunt against nephew, Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhara Raje Scindia (BJP) is battling her Congress MP nephew Jyotiraditya Scindia (son of her late brother and Congress heavyweight Madhavrao) for control of the wealthy charitable trusts set up by Vasundhara's mother, late Rajmata Vijaya Raje Scindia. She is flanked by her sisters - Yashodhara Raje(BJP) and Usha Raje. The focal point is Krishna Madhav Public Charitable Trust and His Highness Sir Maharaja Jivajirao Scindia Charitable Trust. Set up by Rajmata Vijaya Raje Scindia in 1966, the trusts own three multicrore properties in south Mumbai, which were gifted to the Rajmata. She had declared her daughters to be the sole trustees, which has been contested by the Harvard educated Jyotiraditya Scindia.
The rift although reaching courts now; was evident since decades. It began with the arrival of Madhavrao Scindia to India; four years after his departure to US in regards to pursue studies, following his father's death. Although Vijaya Raje, married to Jivajirao Scindia, Maharaja of Gwalior, one of the largest, richest and highest-ranking 21-gun-salute princely states in India; had an amiacable relationship with her late husband, she found solace in Sardar Sambhajirao Chandroji Angre. In her autobiography, she regretfully recounts how little sympathy she was able to extend to her two younger daughters in their troubled marriages. Madhavrao loathed this new diktat in the royal house and was often at loggerheads in this issue. When he asked Vijaya Raje to choose between the two, Raje choose Angre, adding fuel to the fire. Explaining"How could I desert a man who stood by me in my time of need?" Both often were in a state of spat against each other even in public, ever since. Indeed, when her will was read shortly after her death, it was found that she had forbidden her son from participating in her funerary obsequies. This is the ultimate castigation an orthodox Hindu can mete out to a son.
Following Indira Gandhi's abolition of privy purse in 1971; most of the royal families were financing her opponents, quickly squabbled under her. This is evident till date where numerous royal autocrats have Congress membership. But Vijaya Raje remained unfazed and remained openly in support of Jana Sangh - right-wing political party. Madhavrao traces the break to 1972, the year he wanted to opt out of his mother's party, the Jan Sangh, and join the Congress instead a chance.Scoffs Sardar Sambhajirao Chandroji Angre, 71, the Rajmata's companion for the last three decades, and a key player in the rift: "He chickened out because the Jan Sangh did not do so well in the 1972 Vidhan Sabha elections." Madhavrao jumped into the Indira bandwagon. Exerting great influence within the judiciary and police, he began asserting great pressure on his mother. Sale and donation of properties were put on hold. Backed by Indira, he even went to the extent of sending his mother to prison during the emergency era. The simmering tension came to a boil with the Emergency.The difference of ideologies and loyalty rifted relations between the two, which had been straining at the seams all along, snapped almost completely. After emergency, while Madhavrao contested on a Congress(I) ticket from Guna, his mother was the opposition candidate against Indira Gandhi from Rae Bareli. However, politics and economics are just the tip of the iceberg.
What began as a tiff over petty household officers, became a no-holds-barred battle after the 1980 assembly elections. Madhavrao's staff lodged an FIR against Angre, his daughter and the Rajmata's stepbrother, Dhyanendra Singh, now a minister in Madhya Pradesh.They were charged with breaking open a palace room and removing furniture. Many important family assets were seized and kept in status quo; eventhough Raje watched helplessly. Was her political inclinations going to be the fall of her property? A murky legal battle began for the 15 family trusts which control most of the property. The dispute is still pending. What irked Madhavrao most was the steady infiltration of the palace by RSS-run organisations. The flashpoint came in March 1982 when the Rajmata announced she would dedicate the palace to Vidya Bharati. Animosities were fuelled by Angre's arrest in July 1982. He was charged with theft of antiques from the palace museum, following a complaint from Madhavrao's staff. The BJP Government, after coming to power has since withdrawn the case. Yet, the fierce feud continued. Apparently, in August 1983, Madhavrao's armed supporters raided and captured three buildings in the Gwalior palace complex under the occupation of the Rajmata and Angre who were in London at that time. Angre's house, sealed by the administration subsequently, is still locked with his things lying inside. Angre, who claims "it was pure vendetta", hit back by filing a case of breach of trust and forgery against Madhavrao for occupying a Bombay flat belonging to a family trust in 1983. The Supreme Court, influenced by Indira ruled in Madhavrao's favour.
The Scindia family till date maintains the age old tradition of inter-royal marriages. So was the case with Vijaya Raje who was an aristocratic family exiled from Nepal(One of her daughters has been wed to a Nepali royal family heir and another; Vasundhra Raje was married to a Hemant Singh,ex-royal Dholpur family).
In the recently concluded Madhya Pradesh assembly elections,Jyotiraditya Scindia, the Congress's unofficial chief ministerial face has been campaigning in Shivpuri, an assembly seat that's part of his Lok Sabha constituency of Guna, wherein Yashodhara, his aunt is the BJP's candidate But the Maharaja of the erstwhile state of Gwalior is faced a humiliating rout in the results. Owing to Shivraj Singh Chauhan's efforts and charisma, the 'lotus bloom' is set to stay extremely vibrant, and most importantly for a long time to come. For Jyotiraditya Scindia, this, shall be hard to digest.
After an enormously painstaking efforts by Vasundhra Raje -Jyotiraditya Scindia's younger aunt , in the social service sector, coupled with the rising anti-incumbency against the ruling congress; Vasundhra had stormed into the Rajasthan government as a Chief Minister. Although, most of her period as CM saw enormous developmental and social projects such as Asia's biggest colony, per say; at the nearing of her tenure, she began to attract a lot of controversies. She did a ramp walk in an effort to revive Khadi garments, which also attracted huge funding for the people depending their lives on Khadi products. But in a state, still lingering in the medieval times, having a female authoritarian was "unacceptable". A female doing ramp walk in front of cheering crowds, although her intention was in the well-being of her citizens, did not go down well in the conservative society. The final blow came when, Vasundhara was caught hugging Biocon chief Mazumdar Shaw. The angle of the photoshot was such that, it gave a look of the duo in a lip-smooching. The media went berserk in humiliating Vasundhara calling it a "shahi pappi". Her own party members asked for her resignation, for this act. But undeterred she continued her work towards development and infrastructure projects. On the eve of elections, the opposition congress used this incident in a selfish manner, asking for the CM's apology and equating the incident as, "the humiliation of all womenfolk of Rajasthan". They conveniently choose to ignore the incident where the late Congress party's PM of India had hugged Benazir Bhutto - PM of Pakistan. These was hailed as a mark of 'friendship' by both the Congress party as well as the media.The congress's false promises of reservation, employment and the usual - freebies was a key in creating anti-incumbency, leading to the fall of Vasundhara led BJP, by a narrow margin. Many of her own party members, unable to take 'diktat' from a female had indulged in cross-voting. Nonetheless, the true face of Ghelot led congress government was exposed as soon as they assumed power, wherein they indulged in little developmet activities and more of 'giving subsidiaries and freebies' - resulting in the bankruptcy of the Government. Vasundhara stormed back to power in the next elections beating her opponents by a huge margin - a complete rout of congress.
As the BJP grows in strength with the Vasundhara as a chief minister, and as Madhavrao reaches for the top laurel in the Congress, the battle can only assume a keener edge.
(In pic: Vijaya Raje resists as Priyadarshini Raje Scindia, Jyotiraditya Scindia's wife tries to touch her mother-in-law's feet.)
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