Congress leader and former Union Minister Jitin Prasada joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) today on June 9.

The move is a setback to the already-struggling Congress ahead of the next year’s crucial assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh, where the Yogi Adiyanath-led BJP government will be seeking re-election.

"I was associated with Congress for three generations. I’ve taken this decision after a lot of thought," he said while joining.

"If you cannot be of any help to people and protect their interests, then what’s the point? I felt I couldn’t do that in the Congress," he said.

Jitin Prasada said if there was one party in the country that talks in the national interest, then it is the BJP. "If anyone is standing with the country and its people in these testing times, then it’s BJP and PM Modi. Others have become regional parties," he said.

"I’d heard this would be a deciding decade for India. PM Modi is working hard in the service of this country. We’ve faced challenges and public had distanced itself from us," Prasada said.

"I look forward to the representation I get to play in the formation of ‘New India’," he added.

"I would like to thank the Prime Minister, the Home Minister, JP Nadda (BJP President) and other party leaders to give me this opportunity to work. This is new chapter of my political career. This decision of mine has come after much deliberation. BJP is the only party working for national building," said Prasada who had met Union Minister Piyush Goyal before joining the BJP.

Prasada is second high-profile name from Congress after BJP leader Jyotiraditya Scindia left the Congress last year to join the saffron party,

The local unit of Congress had passed a resolution demanding action against Jitin Prasada and others for allegedly challenging Sonia Gandhi's leadership. Jitin Prasada had been side-lined in the Congress for quite some time.

The Hindustan Times reported that Congress insiders informed that Jitin Prasada said he was increasingly unhappy with the state of affairs in Uttar Pradesh, where assembly polls are due next year, and particularly Shahjahanpur, his home turf.

 “He told us that he was hardly consulted for matters and what irked him was the change of guard in the Shahjahanpur district Congress unit without his knowledge,” HT quoted a person aware of the matter, pleading anonymity.

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