New Delhi| Former Union minister and senior Congress leader from Uttar Pradesh Jitin Prasada joined the BJP on Wednesday at the party headquarters in the presence of Union Railway Minister Piyush Goyal and Rajya Sabha member Anil Baluni. Welcoming Jitin Prasada, Goyal praised his commitment to serve the people and said that he (Prasad) will play an important role in Uttar Pradesh. Goel said, “He will have a prominent role in the politics of Uttar Pradesh in the future. He is someone who is connected to the ground realities and is a popular leader in the state.”
Prasad thanked BJP President JP Nadda, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah for accepting him into the saffron party.
After joining the party, Prasad said, “The question is not why I am leaving one party but why I am joining another party. If there is a party today, an institutional party, it is BJP is.”
Prasad further said, “I think there is no purpose for you to do politics or to be in any political party if a person is not able to serve or protect the interests of his people. I want to be in Congress and not be able to.” Realized. Hence, I joined BJP and my work will only speak for itself.”
The BJP believes that Prasad joining the BJP will help pacify Brahmins in Uttar Pradesh, where assembly elections will be held early next year. A party insider said Prasad could be projected as the Brahmin face of the party which is completely missing in Uttar Pradesh.
Prasad was once close to Rahul Gandhi. Group-23 (G-23) were part of the signatories, who wrote to Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi, demanding comprehensive reforms in the party. Despite being dissatisfied, he was entrusted with the Congress’ campaign in West Bengal, which turned out to be disappointing. Taking a stand against the party, he opposed the alliance of the Congress with the Indian Secular Front (ISF) in West Bengal.
Her father Jitendra Prasad was a prominent ‘Brahmin’ face in Uttar Pradesh, who challenged Sonia Gandhi’s leadership in 1999 and contested against her for the post of party chief. He passed away in 2002.
