Scindia arrives in Bhopal, gets grand welcome by BJP

After reaching the BJP office - Deendayal Parisar in posh Arera Colony, in a rally from the airport, Scindia garlanded the busts of his grandmother Vijayaraje Scindia, one of the founders of the BJP, Hindutva icon Deendayal Upadhyay and former party president Kushabhau Thakre.

He also paid floral tributes to his father Madhavrao Scindia, a Congress stalwart whose portrait was also put up in the BJP office premises.

Chouhan and other BJP leaders were present on the occasion.

A large number of women draped in saffron sarees lined up in the sprawling office complex with flowers to welcome Scindia, who joined the BJP on Wednesday in Delhi, a day after quitting the Congress.

The 49-year-old former Union minister arrived at the jam-packed BJP office amid bursting of crackers and loud beating of drums. BJP workers repeatedly raised the slogan 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai'.

A stage adorned with saffron flags was set up at the BJP office to welcome Scindia.

Those who greeted Scindia at the airport and later at Deendayal Parisar included state BJP president V D Sharma, Leader of Opposition Gopal Bhargava, former ministers Rampal Singh, Bhupendra Singh and Narottam Mishra.

Scindias paternal aunt, BJP MLA Yashodhara Raje Scindia, who was also present at the airport, welcomed her nephew at the state BJP office.

Scindia arrived at the airport on Thursday afternoon to a rousing welcome by BJP workers.

A large number of his supporters and BJP workers welcomed him at the airport with the saffron partys flags.

Local BJP activists and leaders rushed to greet the former Lok Sabha MP from Guna as soon as he stepped out of the aerodrome.

Scindia landed at the airport along with Union minister and BJP leader Narendra Singh Tomar in a special aircraft.

Hoardings and BJP flags were put up by Scindia's supporters and BJP leaders along the 15-km route of his rally from the airport to the state BJP headquarters.

Meanwhile, hours before his arrival, posters bearing Scindia's pictures were found blackened in parts of Bhopal, party sources said.

Scindia will file his nomination papers for the March 26 Rajya Sabha polls on Friday, a party spokesperson said.