Ahead of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly Election 2017 Congress former Uttar Pradesh president Rita Bahuguna Joshi joined BJP today. Congress has received a serious jolt.

She made a fierce attack on Rahul Gandhi. “The biggest leaders of the Uttar Pradesh Congress have not been able to act under the new leadership. Sonia ji used to listen to us, but that is not happening under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi,” alleged Ms Joshi.

“Not just the UP Congress, but the entire nation is unhappy with the leadership of Rahul Gandhi,” Ms Joshi said, adding that Mr Gandhi’s criticism of PM Modi after the Indian Army’s surgical strikes across the Line of Control or LoC and the Congress’ demand for proof had made her “angry.”

“I resigned from Congress today and joined BJP. It wasn’t easy for me. Whatever the result of the surgical strikes may have been, the Modi government decided to take full responsibility. Congress leaders and the media started questioning the surgical strikes. I was deeply hurt. I even expressed my displeasure on Twitter. It was not called for. It inspired me to take this decision. This fight and struggle is very important. Our Army needs the support of the government and the nation,” Joshi said at a press conference at the BJP headquarters in New Delhi with BJP president Amit Shah on her side.

Joshi is a Brahmin who constitute about 10 per cent of UP’s population. One of the important reasons why Congress projected former Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit as its chief ministerial candidate for the upcoming UP elections was that she is a Brahmin.

Not just the Congress but also BJP and Mayawati’s BSP are trying to woo the Brahmins in the upcoming Assembly polls in the state. Joshi quitting Congress will give a boost to BJP’s bid to garner Barhmin votes.

While a Chhattisgarh Congress MLA RK Rai made a disparaging remark a couple of days ago comparing Rahul with a donkey, for which he was suspended from the party. Joshi is the second senior party leader to strongly disagree with Rahul over the surgical strikes.