Jyotiraditya Scindia chose an auspicious day for his “ghar wapsi”, a phrase used by his aunt Yashodhara Raje Scindia to describe her nephew’s search for a better pasture to “serve the people”.

Tuesday was not only Holi but also the birth anniversary of Jyotiraditya’s father Madhavrao. The worthy son had declared two years ago “hamari gardan kat jaye, lekin hum jhukenge nahin (I will not bow even if I am beheaded)”.

The head was not only firmly in place but also held high when Scindia called on Amit Shah on Tuesday morning, drove with the Union minister to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s official residence and then re-emerged, flashing the victory sign.

A little later, Scindia’s letter informing Sonia Gandhi of his decision to resign from the Congress was posted on his Twitter handle.

Scindia is likely to join the BJP later this week, probably in Bhopal, along with his supporters. He was set to join the BJP on Tuesday itself but the plan was changed for an opportunity to display his clout in Madhya Pradesh politics.

A BJP source said if everything went according to plan and the Kamal Nath government was toppled, Scindia would get a Rajya Sabha berth from Madhya Pradesh and later inducted into the Union ministry.

Scindia resigned from the Congress ahead of a debate in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday on the Delhi riots. The BJP is expected to use the desertion to demoralise the Congress in the House.

Madhya Pradesh is known to be vital to the Sangh parivar’s wider scheme of things. The RSS and its affiliates have a strong base in the Hindi heartland state.

Of the three states — Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh — that went to the polls towards the end of 2018, the BJP had lost Madhya Pradesh narrowly. In the 230-member Assembly, the Congress won 114 seats and the BJP 109. The Congress formed the government with the support of the BSP, the SP and Independent MLAs.

After the three states, Maharashtra and Jharkhand also slipped out of the BJP’s hands.

The party, which has been on the lookout for a chance to topple the Congress government in Madhya Pradesh, is said to be keen on “reclaiming” Rajasthan and Maharashtra, too.

The Congress government in Rajasthan has a thin majority and deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot, another young leader, is said to be sulking.

BJP leaders feel the “unholy” Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress alliance in Maharashtra will not last long. “Maharashtra was snatched from us. The mandate was for us. We will get it back. Just wait and watch,” a BJP MP from the state said.