Hours after switching parties from Congress to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Jitin Prasada received a joyous welcome from former colleague Jyotiraditya Scindia, who had also joined the BJP last year.
"He is like my younger brother, and I welcome him to BJP. I congratulate him," Scindia said while speaking to reporters.
The Rajya Sabha MP when asked about his portfolio in the Union cabinet said his priority is to serve the public and continue working on that ideology.
"My priority is public service and continuing on that ideology. I followed the footsteps of my father and grandfather. Post or no post but constant service to people is the traditional value of our Scindia family," Scindia said.
Earlier in the day, Prasada, former MP from Uttar Pradesh's Dharahura, joined the BJP in the presence of Union Railway Minister Piyush Goyal at the party headquarters.
This comes ahead of the all-important Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections the next year.
Speaking on the occasion, Prasada said, "I have a three-generation connection with Congress, so I took this important decision after a lot of deliberation. In the last 8-10 years I have felt that if there is one party that is truly national, it is BJP. Other parties are regional but this is the national party."
Prasada started his career with Indian Youth Congress as a general secretary. He was elected to the Lok Sabha in 2004 for the first time. He was also a minister in the UPA government at the Centre.
Prasada's departure is a fresh blow to the Congress party after another heavyweight leader of the party Jyotiraditya Scindia had joined the BJP in March 2020.
After switching the party, he had said, "It is an emotional day for me because the organization and family in which I have spent 20 years, the organization where I have put my hard work and efforts, I am leaving all that behind and handing myself over to you...I consider myself fortunate that this family (BJP) opened the doors for me, and that I received the blessings of Prime Minister Modi, Nadda saheb and Amit bhai."
( With inputs from ANI )
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