It is a rude jolt for former Congress President Rahul Gandhi: his close aide Jitin Prasada (47), a former Union minister of state and a prominent Brahmin face of Uttar Pradesh, on Wednesday switched over his loyalties to the rival BJP as a part of the political strategy of PM Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah to cut to size chief minister Yogi Adityanath.
Jitin’s frustration with his party of 20 years was no secret. He was part of the "G-23" or group of 23 Congress leaders who had written to party chief Sonia Gandhi last year calling for sweeping reforms, collective decision-making and a "full-time, visible leadership."
Despite joining the bandwagon of the dissenters, Jitin was given the key responsibility as in-charge of the West Bengal poll campaign, which turned out to be a big disaster.
The BJP top leadership had been eyeing him for some time now as he was vulnerable on many counts. A two times Lok Sabha MP from Shahjahanpur, his grandfather Jyoti Prasada was a Congress MLA between 1950s and 70s. His father Jitendra Prasada, a Congress strategist and national vice-president who died at the age of 63 in 2001, too had revolted against Sonia Gandhi by unsuccessfully challenging her election in 1999 as the Congress president.
Veteran Jitendra Prasada, who was once close to former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and his political secretary, had joined PV Narasimha Rao camp when he saw Sonia Gandhi was not taking over the Congress leadership. Narasimha Ro appointed Jitendra Prasad as his political secretary and in that position, he went on to get elected to the CWC at the historic Tirupati Congress session.
Jitin Prasada has comes in the BJP fold months ahead of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly election at a time when the Congress leadership is busy untangling a political feud between Amarinder Singh and Navjot Singh Sidhu in Punjab, which also goes to polls early 2022.
"I had started feeling that I was not able to contribute or work for the people," said Jitin Prasada, draped in a saffron scarf indicating his new status.
"The BJP is the only real political party. It's the only national party. The rest are regional. The BJP and (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi only can meet the challenges the country is facing," he said, claiming he started thinking about the move 10 years ago (when he was a Union Minister).
Sources close to him said he has been promised a big role in the coming assembly elections. A friend said that Jitin may be projected as a Brahmin face in Modi-Shah’s ongoing battle against Yogi, who is being accused of playing Thakur politics, preferring his caste leaders in appointments to big and decisive posts.
This is the mind game the BJP top leadership is playing. It is preparing for the UP elections and wants to build a public perception that the party is attracting leaders from other parties. The BJP has also brought Jitin into the party at this point because it wants to send a signal that it is not down after its political mauling in West Bengal at the hands of Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee; rather, it is strong in UP where it is faced with a challenge from none other than Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath who has been defying the Modi-Shah combine for some time now.
SACHIN PILOT: Prasada is the second high-profile Rahul Gandhi aide to move to the BJP after former union minister Jyotiraditya Scindia left last year. Soon after his exit, there was speculation that another prominent "rebel", Rajasthan leader Sachin Pilot, may also be on his way out because the leadership had put him on an indefinite hold.
"It's sad that Jitin Prasada has left, he has held important posts," said Congress spokesperson Supriya Srinate, questioning his decision to join a party "responsible for loss of lives during Covid."
In 2019, Prasada had emphatically denied joining the BJP. Sources say at that time Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, AICC general secretary in-charge of rebuilding the Congress in UP, had convinced him to stay back.
"What's the point in being in a party if you can't help the people you represent," Prasada asked.
Just five months ago, he had attacked the BJP government in UP for reportedly manhandling his friend and fellow Doon School alum Rahul Gandhi during a march over the Hathras rape case.
"The autocracy and desperation of the BJP govt in UP was on full display today. By manhandling Rahul Gandhi and preventing Priyanka Gandhi from reaching out to Hathras victims family, they have revealed their inherent disregard for every Indian's democratic right and basic freedom," Jitin had said in a series of tweets in October 2020.
