A day after Jitin Prasada switched to the BJP, senior Congress leaders expressed displeasure at their colleague’s choice and slammed him for “blaming the Congress and the ideology for which he and his father worked.”
“Jitin Prasada a was traditional Congressman and we gave him respect. He wasn’t ignored. He was the general secretary in-charge of Bengal in charge and was allowed to contest every time. Despite this, if he blames the Congress and the ideology for which he and his father worked, it’s sad,” Congress MP Mallikarjun Kharge.
But chatting with CNN-News18, Prasada justified his change to the BJP and mentioned the one ideology he follows is that which is in nationwide curiosity. “It was a difficult decision to make. Over a period of time, the Congress suffered a disconnect with people. I joined in politics to serve the people. As far as the ideology goes, there is only one — national interest. Joining hands with Shiv Sena (in Maharashtra) is a compromise in ideology too. It’s not about the role, it’s about the work.”
Taking a jibe at Prasada for his exit, former Union minister and Congress chief Kapil Sibal questioned if he was merely getting used as ‘catch’ by the BJP to win the fast approaching Uttar Pradesh meeting elections. “Jitin Prasada Joins BJP. The question is will he get “prasada” from BJP or is he only a ‘catch’ for UP elections? In such offers if ‘ideology’ doesn’t matter changeover is straightforward,” Sibal tweeted on Thursday.
In an interview to India Today, senior Congress chief Salman Khurshid mentioned he feels very low that his colleague give up the celebration, however added that it was his selection. “I feel very, very bad. I feel very low because his father was a good friend of mine. He’s been a very good friend of mine. We’ve all liked him as a younger brother, as a younger person and I’m deeply sad that he decided to go. But that’s his choice, his decision. Let it rest there,” Khurshid mentioned.
Senior Congress chief M Veerappa Moily expressed the same sentiment, saying the Congress must endure a “main surgical procedure” and not depend just on legacy. He said the top leadership must give primacy to ideological commitment while giving responsibility to leaders.
Alleging that Prasada had placed “personal ambition” over every little thing else, Moily mentioned the Uttar Pradesh chief’s ideological dedication was suspect from the start and the celebration successful zero seats in West Bengal below his cost confirmed that he was incompetent.
“He (Prasada) couldn’t make a mark in UP although the Congress had picked him up as a younger chief. He didn’t come as much as the expectations,” Moily said.
On Prasada being made the AICC in-charge of West Bengal last year, Moily said if a person with no ability is selected, “ultimately the result will be zero”. “Sometimes we additionally make a mistake and choose mistaken leaders who aren’t able to delivering. Just as a result of they converse in good English we predict they’re good leaders. We need mass leaders who can converse the language of the plenty, which a few of the leaders like Jitin Prasada weren’t talking,” he mentioned.
“It was a totally wrong choice (to name Prasada as West Bengal in-charge). I knew that in such a big state like West Bengal with the Congress in a bad shape, a man without any experience and mass base, without a proper approach, who cannot articulate the Congress ideology, if given the charge, there would be failure,” Moily mentioned.
The saga of defections within the Congress, which started forward of the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, continues unabated with Prasada leaping ship on Wednesday, triggering hypothesis of additional exits. Prasada adopted within the footsteps of his former Congress colleague Jyotiraditya Scindia who give up the celebration to hitch the BJP in March final yr.
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