Amid former Union minister Jitin Prasada quitting the Congress to join the BJP, Milind Deora on Wednesday asserted that the Congress can “reclaim its position as India’s big tent party”. However, Deaora did express grief over several of his “friends, peers and valued colleagues” leaving the Grand Old Party.
Walking in the footsteps of his father Jitender Prasada, who contested against Sonia Gandhi for the post of Congress President in 1999, Jitin raised a banner of revolt against his party, quitting ahead of the crucial 2022 Uttar Pradesh elections.
Jitin was part of the group of 23 leaders who had written to party chief Sonia Gandhi last October seeking organisational overhaul and elections at all levels.
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Today, he joined the BJP in the presence of Union minister Piyush Goyal.
In an obvious reference to Wednesday’s development, Deora tweeted, "I believe in @INCIndia as a party that can & must reclaim its position as India’s big tent party. We still have a strong bench that if empowered & optimally utilised, can deliver. I only wish that several of my friends, peers & valued colleagues hadn’t left us."
Deora, Prasada, Jyotiraditya Scindia and Sachin Pilot were once considered as the young brigade of the Congress. They had also served in the erstwhile Congress government at the Centre. Scindia and Prasada have left for the BJP, while Pilot and Deora seem to be upset over certain issues in the party and repeatedly called for course correction.
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(With PTI inputs)
