On Wednesday (June 9), former union minister and Congress leader from Uttar Pradesh, Jitin Prasada called it quits and joined BJP at the party headquarters in New Delhi. Before reaching the BJP headquarters, he met Railway Minister Piyush Goyal at his residence, and from there both of them went to meet home minister Amit Shah. Piyush Goyal formal welcomed Prasada to BJP at 1.20 PM today. The development comes ahead of the Uttar Pradesh State Legislative elections that are scheduled to be held next year.
Earlier in the day, BJP MP and National spokesperson Anil Baluni had informed, “An Eminent personality will join BJP today (Wednesday) 09 June, 1 PM at BJP HQ, 6A DDU Marg, New Delhi.”
https://twitter.com/anil_baluni/status/1402493216843198464?ref_src=twsrc%5EtfwThe 47-year-old Jitin Prasada was once a close aide to Congress dynast Rahul Gandhi. Interestingly, he was part of the ‘G-23′ group which wrote to Sonia Gandhi in 2020 asking for in-party reforms. His exit from the grand-old party makes him the second influential Congress leader to desert the party after Jyotiraditya Scindia. Prior to defecting to the BJP, Jitin Prasada was appointed as the General Secretary of All India Congress Committee for the West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee. He was also the Minister of State for Steel (2008-2009), Petroleum and Natural Gas (2009-2011), Road Transport and Highways (2011-2012), and HRD (2012-2014) under the UPA-II government. Jitin Prasada as seen as the Brahmin face of the party in UP.
His disillusionment with the party became evident when he slammed the Congress party for forging an alliance with the Left and the Islamist Indian Secular Front (ISF). On March 1, Jitin Prasada had tweeted, “Alliance decisions are taken keeping in mind the best interests of the party and the workers. Now is the time for everyone to join hands and work towards strengthening the prospects of the Congress in the poll bound states.”
https://twitter.com/JitinPrasada/status/1366431237859016705?ref_src=twsrc%5EtfwIt must be mentioned that his late father Jitendra Prasada had challenged the leadership of Sonia Gandhi in 1999. He had contested against her in a failed bid for the post of Congress President.