Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday told youth wing leaders that had Jyotiraditya Scindia remained in the party he would have certainly become chief minister but was now a “backbencher” in the BJP, according to sources.

He said he had told Scindia so, but “he chose a different path” by joining the BJP, where he can never be the chief minister.

Gandhi while addressing the executive committee meeting of the Indian Youth Congress said that even if Scindia returns to the party fold, “he cannot be the chief minister now”.

The former Congress chief exhorted youth leaders to adopt patience and be able to digest power. He said the party is observing the contribution of all of them, sources said.

“I told Scindia that he will 100 per cent become the chief minister one day. But he chose a different path. Had he not left the party, he would have been CM. He is today a backbencher in the BJP and can never become chief minister there,” a source quoted him as telling the gathering.

Scindia had left the party along with some legislators loyal to him to join the BJP. This led to the fall of the Kamal Nath-led Congress government in Madhya Pradesh early last year.

However, IYC president B V Srinivas denied that Gandhi made any reference to Scindia and claimed it was “not correct”.

He said Gandhi told the youth that “anyone who wanted to join or quit the party was free to do so”, as he urged them to continue their fight against the RSS-BJP ideology and not fear anyone.

Sources, however, said he told the youth leaders that the coming days belonged to them and they should remain loyal to the party and continue their fight against the BJP/RSS and work hard for the party which was “observing” them and their contribution.

He said politics was a long process and one who worked sincerely for the party and remained loyal would get rewarded.

“I will continue to fight these forces. I do not fear from anyone, Gandhi said at the closed-door gathering,” the source said.

All state presidents and Indian Youth Congress national office-bearers attended the executive meeting.

The Youth Congress leaders made a presentation at the meeting on the work they proposed to do in the next year.

Gandhi told them to continue with their programme of protests on issues of price rise and unemployment and farmers’ issues and to take to the streets against the government.