Sir — The defection of the senior leader, Jitin Prasada, from the Congress to the Bharatiya Janata Party should not be given much prominence (“Exit sign”, June 11). His former party is in the doldrums on the national stage and his own charisma as a leader is not worth writing home about. But the BJP government at the Centre as well as that in the politically-crucial state of Uttar Pradesh are going through a bad patch owing to the mismanagement of the Covid-19 crisis and the faltering economy.

The UP dispensation’s handling of the pandemic, the law and order situation in the state and the distress of farmers have been dismal to witness. The BJP’s recent setback in the local body elections is an alarming development, and the top brass of the saffron brigade is now apprehensive. It is time for rejuvenation and course correction for the party, as the outcome of the assembly polls next year will likely have a bearing on results of the 2024 general elections.

Given the absence of the BJP’s investment in any significant welfare schemes and other deliverables geared towards overall development in UP, the party will almost certainly resort to its divisive caste- and religion-based rhetoric to try and overcome the election hurdle in 2022, just like it did in 2017. Given that Prasada belongs to the Brahmin community, his induction into the BJP might bolster the consolidation of the Brahmin vote for the party. The scenario for the ruling dispensation is gloomy — if the results of the panchayat polls are any sign, then a rejuvenated Samajwadi Party is breathing down the BJP’s neck. As such, the BJP must have thought that having Prasada in its fold will give it some leeway.

Chanchal Nandy,
Durgapur

Sir — Jitin Prasada joining the BJP in Delhi points towards opportunism and a hunger for power. His defection occurs at a time that is seen to be rather testing for the BJP ahead of the 2022 assembly polls in UP. Prasada, who had served in the second United Progressive Alliance government and hails from Shahjahanpur, had been at odds with the Congress leadership for a long time. In July last year, he had launched the ‘Brahmin Chetna Parishad’ to give voice to the Brahmin community. He blatantly said that the BJP stands for the interests of the nation today, all the while knowing very well that the country is in a shambles and lagging behind in all the sectors of public life.

Prasada has had ties with several generations of the Congress; as such, his decision to defect was for his own selfish political gains. It amounts to a betrayal of the trust placed in him by his former party. He said that in the last eight to ten years he has felt as though the only truly national party is the BJP; to us, it seems more like a shirking of his responsibilities to the Congress. By joining hands with communal forces, Prasada may have dealt his own political career a severe blow.

Bhagwan Thadani,
Mumbai

Sir — Jitin Prasada’s foray into the BJP may hold significance for UP’s Brahmin community, which has been feeling neglected under the leadership of the Hindutva-espousing chief minister, Yogi Adityanath. With Prasada’s entry, Brahmins may once again forge closer ties with the BJP. This is going to have a sizeable impact on the state assembly polls which are not too far away. Brahmins have been a part of the BJP’s core support base, but after 2017, Adityanath’s policies made them feel cornered.

Munmun Bua,
Ujjain

Clear bias

Sir — The recent comments made by the Assam chief minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma, about adopting “decent family planning” measures would have been worth considering had it not been specifically targeted towards the state’s immigrant Muslim community. The problem of overpopulation plagues India as a whole; by taunting only the Muslim community, Sarma has stayed true to the saffron party’s divisive and bigoted agenda. If the Bharatiya Janata Party is so concerned about the effects of overpopulation, then why have leaders like Sakshi Maharaj and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh been known over the years to exhort Hindu couples to have more children?

Aditya Konwar,
Guwahati