Tajinder Singh Bittu, a trusted associate of Priyanka Gandhi, has switched allegiance to the BJP in Delhi on Saturday, shortly after stepping down from the Congress.
This move is another blow to the Congress, which has witnessed a series of prominent leaders like Gourav Vallab leaving in the lead-up to the Lok Sabha elections.
Bittu, who previously served as the Congress secretary for Himachal Pradesh, has now officially become a member of the BJP.
Prior to joining the BJP, Bittu submitted his resignation from the Congress in a letter addressed to party chief Mallikarjun Kharge.
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"I hereby tender my resignation from the primary membership of the Indian National Congress and from my post AICC, secretary co-incharge of Himachal Pradesh, effective immediately," he said in the letter.
Bittu shared his resignation letter in a Facebook post with the caption, "With a heavy heart, after 35 years, I resign from the Congress party."
Hours later Bittu was seen being officially joining Bharatiya Janata Party in Delhi, in the presence of Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnav and Vinod Tawde.
Bittu spoke to the media after joining BJP when he said, "I was with the Congress for 35 years, I started working with the NSUI. However, now there are three-four power centers within the party (Congress). Every power center is working as per its own wish. There's no coordination and that it why we were facing issues. I was feeling suffocated, so I came into the BJP."
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Congress reacts
Himachal Pradesh Congress chief Pratibha Singh responding to Bittu's resignation said, "The high command has to decide why he went out of the party, what was resentment? I don't have much knowledge about it. Another co-incharge will be placed."
In Madhya Pradesh, a number of Congress leaders, including a former MLA, have switched to the BJP.
Hari Vallabh Shukla, a former Congress MLA, and his followers joined the BJP in Bhopal's state BJP office in the presence of Chief Minister Mohan Yadav.
