Jitin Prasada (born 29 November 1973) is an Indian politician from Uttar Pradesh. He was appointed Cabinet Minister by the Government of Uttar Pradesh on 26 September 2021. Earlier, he has been the former Minister of State for Human Resource Department, Government of India. He was representing Dhaurahra (Lok Sabha constituency) of district Lakhimpur Kheri, Uttar Pradesh in 15th Lok Sabha,[1] where he won by 184,509 votes.[2] On 9 June 2021 Jitin Prasad quit the Indian National Congress and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party in the presence of senior BJP leader Piyush Goyal.[3][4][5][6][7]

Jitin Prasada
Jitin Prasada, 2024
Union Minister of State
Government of India
Assumed office
11 June 2024
PresidentDraupadi Murmu
Prime MinisterNarendra Modi
MinisterAshwini Vaishnaw
Ministry&Departments
Preceded byRajeev Chandrasekhar
&
Anupriya Patel
Cabinet Minister
Government of Uttar Pradesh
In office
March 25, 2022 (2022-03-25) – June 11, 2024 (2024-06-11)
Ministry&Departments
  • Public Works
Chief MinisterYogi Adityanath
Preceded byKeshav Prasad Maurya
In office
26 September 2021 – 25 March 2022
Ministry&Departments
  • Technical Education
Chief MinisterYogi Adityanath
Preceded byKamal Rani Varun
Succeeded byAshish Singh Patel
Member of Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council
In office
October 1, 2021 (2021-10-01) – June 11, 2024 (2024-06-11)
ConstituencyNominated by Governor
Union Minister of State
Government of India
In office
28 October 2012 – 26 May 2014
Prime MinisterManmohan Singh
MinisterM. M. Pallam Raju
Ministry&DepartmentsMinistry of Human Resource Development
In office
19 January 2011 – 28 October 2012
Prime MinisterManmohan Singh
MinisterC. P. Joshi
Ministry&DepartmentsMinistry of Road Transport and Highways
In office
28 May 2009 – 19 january 2011
Prime MinisterManmohan Singh
MinisterMurli Deora
Ministry&DepartmentsMinistry of Petroleum and Natural Gas
In office
6 April 2008 – 22 May 2009
Prime MinisterManmohan Singh
MinisterRam Vilas Paswan
Ministry&DepartmentsMinistry of Steel
Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha
Assumed office
04 June 2024
Preceded byVarun Gandhi
ConstituencyPilibhit
In office
2009–2014
Preceded byConstituency established
Succeeded byRekha Verma
ConstituencyDhaurara
In office
2004–2009
Preceded byRammurti Singh Verma
Succeeded byMithlesh Kumar
ConstituencyShahjahanpur
Personal details
Born
Kunwar Jitin Prasada

(1973-11-29) 29 November 1973 (age 50)
Shahjahanpur, Uttar Pradesh, India
Political partyBharatiya Janata Party (2021–present)
Other political
affiliations
Indian National Congress (2001–2021)
Spouse
Neha Seth
(m. 2010)
Children2
Parents
Relatives
Residence(s)Hata Baba Sahab, Khirani Bag, Shahjahanpur, Uttar Pradesh
Education

Prasada attended The Doon School, Dehradun at roughly the same time as politicians Rahul Gandhi, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo and Dushyant Singh.[8][9][10]

Early life

Prasada was born in Shahjahanpur, Uttar Pradesh to politician Jitendra Prasada and his wife Kanta Prasada. He belongs to Brahmin caste.[11] He attended the all-boys' boarding school, The Doon School in Dehradun (where he was a contemporary of politicians Jyotiraditya Scindia and Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo).[12][13] He did a degree in commerce from the Shri Ram College of Commerce, Delhi University and then completed his MBA from International Management Institute, New Delhi.

His grandfather Jyoti Prasad was a Congress party member and served legislative and local body positions. His grandmother Pamela Prasada belonged to the Sikh family of Kapurthala. His great grandfather Jwala Prasada was a Imperial Civil Service officer and great grandmother Purnima Devi, youngest daughter of Hemendranath Tagore brother of Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore.[14]

Political career

In 2001, Jitin Prasad started his career with Indian Youth Congress as a general secretary. In 2004, he won his first election and was elected Member of the Parliament in the 14th Lok Sabha from his hometown constituency of Shahjahanpur, U.P.

In his first tenure as Member of the Parliament Jitin Prasad was inducted as Minister of State for Steel and was one of the youngest ministers in the Cabinet (April 2008). In 2009, he fought and won the election from Dhaurara, as his home bastion Shahjahanpur came under the delimitation process.

His promise of getting the Meter gauge railway track of the district Lakhimpur Kheri converted to Broad gauge gathered major support for his candidature during 2009 Parliamentary elections. He has laid down foundation stone of a Steel factory in his constituency Dhaurahra (Lok Sabha constituency) during his tenure as Union minister of state for Steel in 2008. For the 14th Lok Sabha, Jitin held the positions of Committee on Petitions (Member); Committee on Information Technology and Communications (Member); Consultative Committee, Ministry of Civil Aviation and the Ministry of Steel.

He was appointed In-Charge for West Bengal for Congress, ahead of 2021.

Prasad joined the Bharatiya Janata Party on June 9, 2021.[15][16][17]

References

  1. ^ Priya Sahgal (7 May 2009). "The Rahul offensive". India Today. Retrieved 2 April 2019.
  2. ^ "News18.com: CNN-News18 Breaking News India, Latest News Headlines, Live News Updates". Ibnlive.in.com. Archived from the original on 31 May 2009. Retrieved 2 April 2019.
  3. ^ "कांग्रेस का दामन छोड़ BJP में शामिल हुए पूर्व केंद्रीय मंत्री जितिन प्रसाद, पीयूष गोयल ने दिलाई सदस्यता". Zee News (in Hindi). Retrieved 9 June 2021.
  4. ^ "UP में कांग्रेस को बड़ा झटका! युवा चेहरा जितिन प्रसाद BJP में शामिल, ब्राह्मण वोटों को लुभाने में निभा सकते हैं अहम भूमिका". Jansatta (in Hindi). 9 June 2021. Retrieved 9 June 2021.
  5. ^ "Congress leader Jitin Prasada joins BJP". The Economic Times. 9 June 2021. Retrieved 9 June 2021.
  6. ^ "Explained: Jitin Prasada and the Brahmin question ahead of elections in Uttar Pradesh". Maulshree Seth. The Indian Express. 9 June 2021. Retrieved 9 June 2021.
  7. ^ "Explained: How Jitin Prasada's defection could impact BJP, Congress, and SP in Uttar Pradesh". 14 June 2021.
  8. ^ "Seven Doscos in 15th Lok Sabha". 31 May 2009.
  9. ^ "In a first, 3 Doon alumni are CMS, all from the same powerful era". 19 December 2018.
  10. ^ Banerjee, Soma (27 March 2011). "UPA's Sachin Pilot, Agatha Sangma & Jitin Prasada on matters personal & political". The Economic Times. Retrieved 1 August 2023.
  11. ^ "UP की सियासत में ब्राह्मण किंगमेकर, BJP के लिए ट्रंप कार्ड साबित होंगे जितिन प्रसाद?". AajTak. 11 June 2021. Retrieved 7 June 2024.
  12. ^ "Cool Breeze: Surprise BJP face for Himachal - The Sunday Guardian Live".
  13. ^ "Meet the chocolate boy of Shahjahanpur". 22 June 2009.
  14. ^ "Delhi Confidential: Tagore 'Connection'". 15 December 2020.
  15. ^ "Former Union minister Jitin Prasada set to join BJP". 9 June 2021. Retrieved 9 June 2021.
  16. ^ "कांग्रेस छोड़ जितिन प्रसाद BJP में हुए शामिल, जानें कैसा रहा राजनैतिक सफर". Hindustan (in Hindi). Retrieved 9 June 2021.
  17. ^ "जितिन प्रसाद ने छोड़ा कांग्रेस का साथ, भाजपा में हुए शामिल". Outlook (in Hindi). Retrieved 9 June 2021.