News Edition 24 Desk: The Congress received a major jolt when its young face and a prominent Brahmin face from Uttar Pradesh Jitin Prasada joined the Bharatiya Janata Party. He met Minister Piyush Goel and then drove to Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s residence. Later, he drove to the national party office in Delhi to join the BJP. Earlier, he had resigned from the Congress and severed his decades-long association with the party.
Earlier in the day, BJP spokesperson sent the media into a tizzy when he tweeted: An Eminent personality will join BJP today (Wednesday) 09 June, 1 PM at BJP HQ, 6A DDU Marg, New Delhi. The political circles began speculating who the Congress leader could be. Soon, it emerged that Prasada was having a meeting with Piyush Goel.
Jitin Prasada was among those leaders who had rebelled against the Congress High Command and demanded internal democracy. He was associated with Ghulam Nabi Azad, Shashi tharoor and Kapil Sibal in demanding elections within the Congress. His joining of the Congress is being considered significant as he is the Brahmin face of the Congress in UP.
Interestingly, Jitin Prasada’s father Jitendra Prasada had contested against Sonia Gandhi for the post of Congress President and lost. Since then, he became a persona non grata in the party. He left the party formed a different political outfit. Later, he rejoined the Congress Party. Even after rejoining, Jaten Prasada had a difficult relationship with the Congress leadership. His son Jitin stayed in the party.
But, he too frequently spoke against the leadership. During the 2016 assembly elections, he tried to mobilise the people against the BJP, but the internal politics of the party prevented him from carrying it ahead.