Vibha sharma
Tribune press service
New Delhi, June 9

In a major setback for the Congress party, prominent poll-linked Uttar Pradesh face Jitin Prasada joined the BJP, giving the saffron party a head start in caste equations on Wednesday as he is preparing for the assembly elections next year.

Welcoming him to the saffron fold in the presence of Union Minister Piyush Goyal, chief spokesperson for the BJP, and MP Anil Baluni, said Prasada was joining the party because he was “impressed” by the style of work Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Goyal also praised Prasada, praising him as a great leader whose induction will stimulate BJP and help him serve society.

In his first statement from the BJP podium, Prasada applauded Prime Minister Modi and called Interior Minister Amit Shah “karmyogi”.

“If there is a political party or a leader who defends the interests of the nation today, it is the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” Prasad said. He said he joined the BJP as it was the only national party that functioned institutionally, while others were all about a few people or confined to specific regions.

“The BJP is the only party that is truly a national party, the other parties are mostly regional or individual / oriented,” he said.

Stressing that politics is for public service, Prasada said he realized he couldn’t do it in Congress. “If we can’t help people, protect their interests, there’s no point in playing politics. I couldn’t serve people (in Congress), ”said the 47-year-old former Union minister, from a well-known UP Brahmin family.

His father Jitendra Prasada was a congressional leader.

“It’s a new chapter in my life. I have been associated with three generations of Congress. I made the decision after careful consideration. The question is not which party I am leaving but which party I am joining. Only BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi can move the country forward and I want to be part of the new Indian Prime Minister Modi is trying to build, ”he said.

With Congress in the UP doldrums, his decision to join the BJP may help it politically at a time when the Saffron Party tries to increase its resources to keep all sections of society together. Apart from “mismanagement” during the second wave of Covid-19 and opposition to power, Yogi Adityanath also faces allegations of “favoring” the Thakur community to the detriment of the Brahmins. The inclusion of Prasada should allay some of these feelings.

While it remains to be seen what he will bring, politically (he had lost the Lok Sabha polls), observers say it is “more perceptions”. Last year, he launched the “Brahmin Chetna Parishad” to give voice to the community. However, for Prasada, who has held firm by aligning himself with what is known as the “G-23”, it can be a win-win situation. He has tried to resurrect his career and there is already speculation about a “settlement” for him in the Adityanath government.

For Congress, development is another big blow. The party appears to be struggling to prevent promising young leaders from leaving it. Prasada follows Jyotiraditya Scindia and sources say many prominent leaders from other parties are set to join the BJP in the run-up to Assembly elections next year.