‘Eye on UP’s Brahmin vote’: Shiv Sena hits out at Jitin Prasada’s induction into BJP ahead of elections
“The caste politics of Uttar Pradesh is behind it. Eye on UP’s Brahmin vote bank is being said to be behind Prasada’s induction into the BJP," the Shiv Sena said in an editorial published in the party mouthpiece ‘Saamana’
The Shiv Sena hit out at former Congress politician Jitin Prasada’s induction into the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ahead of the assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh In 2022. In an editorial published in the party mouthpiece ‘Saamana’, it highlighted Prasada’s family ties to Congress, his days in the Manmohan Singh cabinet as a minister, and his continued defeat in elections.
"Prasada, who had faced defeat in Uttar Pradesh assembly elections, has finally joined the BJP. Prasada’s family members were Congress loyalists. He was a minister in former prime minister Manmohan Singh’s cabinet. However, he kept losing assembly and Lok Sabha elections. The BJP has now started celebrating his induction into the party fold,” the editorial said.
“The caste politics of Uttar Pradesh is behind it. Eye on UP’s Brahmin vote bank is being said to be behind Prasada’s induction into the BJP," it added.
The editorial posed the question of Prasada’s influence over Bramhin votes, too. "But if Prasada had a hold over the Brahmin votes, why these votes weren't transferred to the Congress?" it asked.
Prasada who joined the BJP on Wednesday alleged that he could not work for the country while being in Congress and his desire to work for the “new India PM Modi is building” as the reason for shifting camp ahead of the elections in UP.
The Sena opined that young leaders like Prasada, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Sachin Pilot have to shoulder high expectations, and the death of old timers like Ahmed Patel and Rajeev Satav due to Covid-19 has created a vacuum in the party and young leaders leaving does not bode well for it.
"Jitin Prasada, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Sachin pilot were young leaders and there were high expectations from them. There is already a vacuum in the Congress after the death of Ahmed Patel and Rajeev Satav. It is not good that young leaders are going the BJP way," the Sena said.
"Despite being in position to win Kerala and Assam, the Congress couldn't do so. It lost Puducherry. But there is no discussion on what the Congress should do next and how it should resurrect itself. Except in Maharashtra, Kerala and Karnataka, the Congress is fighting for its survival everywhere else. This political imbalance is harmful to democracy," it said
The editorial also talked about the contributions made by Congress so far and tasked Rahul Gandhi with the responsibility of creating a strong team to answer the challenges before the party.
"Congress president Sonia Gandhi has ably carried out her responsibility in the party. Now, Rahul Gandhi has to create a strong team, which will be the answer to the challenge before the party," it stated.
