Rita Bahuguna Joshi joins BJP, lashes out at Rahul Gandhi

Congress leader Rita Bahuguna Joshi, on Thursday, quit her party of 24 years and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Joshi said she was upset at the manner Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi had questioned the 'surgical strikes' that Indian Army had launched on terrorists on the Line of Control on September 28. Joshi said Rahul's comments gave a handle to Pakistan to also question 'surgical strikes'.

Joshi, the UP Congress chief in the 2012 state assembly polls, lauded Congress President Sonia Gandhi but said Rahul has failed to provide leadership. She said senior Congress leaders are upset with Rahul Gandhi's leadership.

Joshi's brother Vijay Bahuguna had walked out of the Congress to join BJP in Uttarakhand earlier this year. She said the Congress has been sublet to 'PK' - a reference to election strategist Prashant Kishor.

She said it is Kishor who now calls the shots in the Congress, including directing people when to sit or stand.