India, July 18 -- New Delhi: More than two dozen senior Congress leaders have deserted the Congress in the last seven years and have joined the BJP since 2013.

The year 2013 saw the beginning of the exodus of Congress leaders as it had become clear by then that the Congress-led UPA was going to lose the 2014 Lok Sabha elections and the Bharatiya Janata Party, led by Narendra Modi, was going to come to power.

At least 30 of these senior leaders, who deserted the Congress included former Union Ministers, Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha members and scores of former state presidents and state ministers.

Among the senior Congress leaders who served as Union Ministers in the Congress government but decided to leave the party, were former External ...