Congress leader Jitin Prasada joins BJP ahead of UP Assembly polls Congress leader Jitin Prasada on Wednesday joined the Bharatiya Janata Party in Delhi. The former MP from Uttar Pradesh met with Union Ministers Piyush Goyal and Amit Shah before making his way to the BJP headquarters. The move gains additional significance, coming mere months before the UP Assembly polls. Considered a core member of the Congress' Uttar Pradesh team, his defection is also being viewed by many as a major blow to jolt to Priyanka and Rahul Gandhi and the party as a whole. Many speculate that it could help the BJP gain an edge in the upcoming polls as Prasada is a known Brahmin face.