Secret BJP operation took Congress by total surprise

NEW DELHI: Soon after BJP’s chief spokesperson Anil Baluni shared on Twitter that a prominent leader would be joining the party at 1 pm, a flutter went through political circles as a guessing game began about who it could be.

But Jitin Prasada’s exit from Congress remained a surprise almost to the end. Social media was abuzz with speculation as several names, including Congress’s Sachin Pilot and Milind Deora, cropped up.

BJP sources, however, said they kept the joining confidential to make sure that there were no hitch and there was no scope for Congress leaders to make a last ditch emotional bid to mollify Prasada.

Since Baluni hails from Uttarakhand, speculation also did the rounds for a while that someone from the hill state was headed to the saffron camp. Peeved at incessant calls, leader of opposition in the state Indira Hridyesh had to switch off her cell phone for some time.

“Congress leaders immediately swung into action and a search started to find out the presence of leaders in the national capital, with Jyotiraditya Scindia’s exit being a recent event,” a BJP leader said, adding he had to field several calls. There was speculation of Prasada joining BJP during the 2019

Lok Sabha

polls but it did not happen as Congress managed to pacify him.

On Wednesday, Prasada first reached the residence of railway minister Piyush Goyal a few minutes before reaching the BJP headquarters. He later called on home minister Amit Shah at the latter's residence. BJP sources said the decision about Prasada’s joining was finalised soon after general secretary (organisation) B L Santhosh returned from Lucknow after two days of feedback meetings in which it emerged that the party needed to consolidate its grip among the Brahmin community and Prasada fit the bill.

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