Feeling ‘ignored’ in Cong, Rita Joshi likely to join BJP

Aditi Tandon

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, October 17

The Congress is bracing for trouble in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh with possibilities of its former state chief Rita Bahuguna Joshi quitting the ranks to join the BJP.

Joshi, 67, who led the party in the 2012 elections, has remained incommunicado for some time for even top Congress leaders, amid reports that she is mulling jumping the ship. Her brother and former Uttarakhand CM Vijay Bahuguna had recently joined the BJP after engineering a revolt against the Harish Rawat-led Congress government in Uttarakhand.

Officially, the Congress declined to comment on the issue saying, "We don't comment on rumours". However, privately many leaders acknowledged Rita was not happy with the way UP Congress affairs were evolving.

In the recent reconstitution of the UP Congress committee, Rita was sidelined despite being a Brahmin leader of standing. Rita represents Lucknow Cant in UP Assembly with the ruling Samajwadi Party this time announcing the candidature of supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav's younger daughter-in-law from this segment.

Congress sources said Rita was anguished over not being given what she considered her "due" in state reorganisation while her rival Pramid Tiwari was named coordination committee chief. Rita felt "ignored" throughout Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi's kisan yatra in UP and did not get to be on his vehicle even in her own area, Lucknow.

"Rita Joshi has been feeling left out and during kisan yatra she was not visible," admitted a Congress leader adding that Rita Joshi's equation with Congress strategist for UP Prasant Kishor also appears strained.

Asked if Rita was looking for a new seat given a tough contest in Lucknow Cant, a Congress source said, “That is possible but that should not be a problem as there are 403 seats in the state.” The question is whether Rita Joshi's probable exit is in the still realm of negotiation or has the matter moved beyond that. Congress insiders say Rita is not taking calls of any leaders. She is said to be in Delhi with Vijay Bahuguna.