Rita Bahuguna Joshi joins BJP. Here's why the Congress isn't bothered

The build-up

Events in the last few months suggested that Joshi was left with not much option considering she had been completely sidelined by the central leadership. Even her role in the UP Congress Committee was almost negligible and she was kept out of the day to day affairs of the party. Certain incidents in the recent past suggest that all was not well between the former PCC president and the Congress leadership.

In one such incident, few weeks back, office bearers of the Uttar Pradesh unit of the Congress had gathered at the AICC headquarters in Delhi to discuss party's election strategy for the forthcoming Assembly polls in the state when Joshi paid a surprise visit. Reporters were surprised to see Joshi who had been missing from such crucial meetings ever since the new UP team had taken charge.

Immediately, she made her way into Congress' UP in-charge Ghulam Nabi Azad's room, where the meeting was taking place, and came out within the next few minutes and hurriedly left without even speaking to the media. The meeting went on for the next few hours, but Joshi's exit did fuel rumours of her being ignored by the leadership from crucial decision making process.

Few days later, reports of Joshi joining the BJP started to do the rounds while Congress kept calling them baseless rumours, maintaining that the former Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee President was unwell. Even her husband and Congress leader PC Joshi dismissed these reports and claimed she had severe throat infection because of which she couldn't offer an explanation.

Vijay Bahuguna, who recently defected from Congress and joined BJP, too dismissed these reports. But the rumours were finally put to rest on Thursday when Joshi joined the BJP in presence of party president Amit Shah.

Joshi targets Rahul Gandhi

Blaming Rahul Gandhi's leadership and his "khoon ki dalali" remarks on the surgical strikes across the Line of Control for her exit, Joshi said, "I was hurt with the khoon ki dalali remarks. How could Congress ask for proof of strikes?". The 67-year-old Joshi added that the Congress vice-president's leadership is not acceptable to the people of UP and India.

"Sonia Gandhi understood the organisation and used to listen to party workers, but Rahul does not. His leadership is not acceptable to the people of UP or the nation. Even senior Congress leaders are not happy with him. Rahul Gandhi has been unable to provide the kind of leadership that a national party like the Congress needs. The people have rejected his leadership," she added. Praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadeship, Joshi said that UP wants his leadership.

Apart from the Gandhi scion, she was also extremely critical of poll strategist Prashant Kishor who is said to have played a crucial role in sidelining her party's day to day affairs. "PK can be a poll manager and not a poll director. Unfortunately, the entire direction and leadership of the election has been given to him. Nothing could be more unfortunate than handing over the party on contract (to Prashant Kishor)," she said.

Apparently, Joshi was perturbed that an outsider was named as the chief ministerial candidate of UP at the behest of Kishor. Bahuguna, a Brahmin, felt that she was better suited to lead the party's campaign in the state. Moreover, she had been kept out of all the important positions and was named only as a member of the coordination committee.

Recently, during the Kisan Yatra, she was given a cold shoulder by Rahul and when campaigning Lucknow, which is Joshi's constituency, she was made to sit in third vehicle in Rahul's cavalcade. "This further angered Joshi who was being ignored by the Congress vice president for other leaders. She felt increasingly marginalised in the new team and believed that she had better credentials than all the other leaders in prominent positions in the state unit," said a Congress leader on the request of anonymity.

"Traitor" says the Congress

Reacting to the charges leveled by Joshi, Congress called her a traitor and accused BJP of creating an army of traitors. Speaking to media, Congress UP PCC chief Raj Babbar said that Joshi leaving the party would have no impact whatsoever. He said, " Her family has a history of switching sides. Her brother's (Vijay Bahuguna) exit had no impact and even her exit would have no impact."

Joshi, the daughter of former UP CM HN Bahuguna, started her political career with Samajwadi Party that nominated her as its Mayor candidate from Allahabad and after winning the polls she switched allegiance to Congress where she had been a prominent face for the last 24 years. She had also been jailed for her derogatory remarks against the BSP chief Mayawati in 2009. In one of ther speeches, she had said, "Women who are raped should throw the money at Mayawati's face and tell her you should also be raped and I will give you 10 million rupees."

Known for her voluble nature, Joshi had made a number of statements against BJP leaders, when she was in the Congress. Anti-BJP twitter users dug up some of her old tweets and statements against BJP soon after news of her joining the party broke.

..and Rita Bahuguna Joshi wants to Double Cheat people, so she joined BJP pic.twitter.com/VV7L5tnzqe

— Kapil💥 (@kapsology) October 20, 2016

Rita Bahuguna Joshi joins BJP. But why is BJP @AmitShah so embarrassed ? Listen to what @RitaBJoshi said of @narendramodi not so long ago. pic.twitter.com/Dobd3DzYw8

— Maharashtra Congress (@mahcongress) October 20, 2016

Communal Rita Bahuguna Joshi, thank you for leaving my party. Great Great Great news. Congratulations @INCIndia pic.twitter.com/bnah7VZRZy

— Manish Sirsiwal 🇮🇳 (@msirsiwal) October 20, 2016