The Congressisation of BJP

New Delhi: In the run-up to the 2014 Lok Sabha elections and afterwards, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had made the "Congress-mukt Bharat (Congress-free India)" his main campaign theme but over the years the slogan seems to have changed into 'BJP-yukt Congress (Congress filled BJP)". 

Here is a look at prominent Congress leaders who have joined the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and other political outfits since 2014 due to different reasons.    

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma: He wanted to be the chief minister of Assam but Rahul Gandhi was against it. He quit the Congress to join the BJP in 2015. In 2021, he assumed the chief minister's post.

Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu: He was the Congress chief minister from July 2016 to September 2016 when he along with 43 legislators joined the People's Party of Arunachal. In December 2016, he defected to the BJP and continued to be the chief minister.       

Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh: He was a minister in the Congress before joining the BJP in 2016.

Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha: He too resigned from the Congress to join the BJP in 2016. 

Former Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan: He quit the Congress in February 2024 to join the BJP. 

 

Former Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh: He formed his Punjab Lok Congress after being unceremoniously removed as the chief minister in November 2021 and later joined the BJP in September 2022.

 

Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia: He brought down the Congress government in March 2020 and later joined the BJP. After a wait of over 15 months, he was appointed Union Civil Aviation Minister in July 2021.

Former Union Minister RPN Singh: He resigned from the Congress to join the BJP in January 2022. 

 

Former Union Minister Jitin Prasada: He resigned from the Congress and joined the BJP in June 2021. Three months later, he was named a cabinet minister in the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh.

Former Union Minister SM Krishna: He resigned from the Congress in January 2017 and joined the BJP in March 2017. However, he announced his retirement from politics in January 2023.

Former Union Minister Choudhary Birender Singh: He resigned from the Congress in August 2014 and later took the BJP membership. He served as a union minister from 2016 to 2019. 

Former Punjab Congress chief Sunil Jakhar: He quit the Congress to join the BJP in May 2022. He later took over as the Punjab BJP chief in July 2023. 

Former Youth Congress president Ashok Tanwar: He resigned from the Congress in October 2019 following his removal as the Haryana Congress chief after holding the post from February 2014. He joined the Trinamool Congress, later the Aam Aadmi Party and finally the BJP in January 2024. 

The other Congress leaders who have joined the BJP include former Rajasthan minister Mahenderjeet Singh Malviya, ex-Himachal Pradesh minister Harsh Mahajan, youth leader from Gujarat Hardik Patel, former media department secretary Tom Vadakkan, former spokesperson Jaiveer Shergill and former defence minister AK Antony's son Anil Antony.

The prominent Congress leaders who quit the party but did not join the BJP include:

Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister and ex-union minister Ghulam Nabi Azad: He quit the Congress in August 2022 and later formed his own political outfit, the Democratic Azad Party.

Former union minister Kapil Sibal: He resigned from the Congress in May 2022 and has not joined any party since.

Former union minister Ashwani Kumar: He quit the Congress in February 2022 and has not joined any other party yet. 

Former union minister Milind Deora: He resigned from the Congress to join the Shiv Sena, led by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, in February 2024.

Former Mahila Congress chief Sushmita Dev: She joined the Trinamool Congress in 2021.

Mausam Noor: She joined the Trinamool Congress in 2019.

Saleem Shervani: He joined the Samajwadi Party in April 2022. 

Baba Siddique: He joined the Nationalist Congress Party, led by Ajit Pawar, in February 2024. 

The list goes on.......