Bhopal, Feb 7 (IANS): Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia has launched an extensive outreach programme in his family bastion Guna-Shivpuri constituency for the last few days.

However, it is not yet clear whether he will be contesting the upcoming Lok Sabha election or not as BJP is yet to announce the candidates for 29 seats in the state.

In Guna, the minister was seen beating drums and dancing with tribals during a programme.

On Tuesday, the minister was seen trying his hands at a traditional Indian game –‘gilli danda’. “I have played a lot of cricket, today I had a lot of fun playing gilli-danda,” he said.

He also launched a fresh attack on Congress saying the grand-old party gave only slogans for ‘elimination of poverty’ but did nothing during its long 65 years of regime.

“First they (Congress) gave a slogan ‘gareebi hatao’ (eliminate poverty) and then, came out with another slogan -- ‘roti, kapda aur makan’. The Congress has always cheated the tribals during its 65 years of power in the country, but did nothing for tribals,” the minister said.

Addressing the gathering during a programme in Shivpuri, Scindia was heard appealing to tribals, saying, “The Congress has cheated you for years, and now it’s your turn to give them a befitting reply.”

Sources told IANS that Scindia has recently visited the RSS office in Bhopal, and the meeting lasted for 40 minutes.

Scindia had contested the Lok Sabha election in 2019 on Congress ticket from Guna constituency, but he lost against BJP’s K. P. Yadav.

In March 2020, Scindia shifted to BJP and was elected as Rajya Sabha MP and made minister in the Prime Minister Narednra Modi’s cabinet.