New Delhi, June 9 Jitin Prasada, who joined the BJP on Wednesday, was set to join the saffron party in 2019 ahead of the Lok Sabha polls and had even finalized his talks through a BJP MP at that time, but last minute ride to airport with Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra changed the equation and he contested from Dharaura constituency only to be defeated by the BJP.
Prasada blamed two minority candidates contesting from Kheri and Sitapur for the polarization in his constituency but he was hopeful to be made the President of the UPCC but was overlooked.
After he wrote the letter along with Ghulam Nabi Azad and other dissident Congress leaders as a part of G-23 demanding reform in the party, he was appointed Congress in charge for West Bengal but was bulldozed by Adhir Ranjan Choudhury, so he left the election midway and now has finally joined the BJP.
He was prior to this a fierce critic of the Yogi government and had alleged that Brahmins are not treated well in the state. Prasada has formed Brahmin Chetna Parishad to safeguard the interest of the community.
Jitin's father late Jitendra Prasada, a former Union Minister and advisor to both Rajiv Gandhi and Narsimha Rao, the senior Prasada contested elections against Sonia Gandhi but lost and after his demise the Congress gave ticket to Kanta Prasad and later Jitin Prasada in 2004.
But after his stint as Union Minister Prasada lost his seat in 2014 and 19 and also the assembly elections in 2017. However, after joining BJP he praised the Prime Minister and said BJP is an institutional party and the rest are either regional or person centric parties and it can only deal with the issues faced by the nation.
But Congress leader Vishwanath Chaturvedi says that the party gave him everything and Sonia Gandhi made him Union Minister but when party needs good workers he left for greener pastures.
Prasada is not the first to leave Congress party. Himanta Biswa Sarma, Jyotiraditya Scindia are the other high profile leaders who took exit route from the Congress. However, it is to be seen if the BJP will benefit from him as the UP government's image after the pandemic has taken a beating and the question is will BJP's gambit to lure Brahmins will work? The answer can only come after 2022 elections.
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