Renowned BJP leader in Haryana and former Union minister Chaudhry Birendra Singh officially joined the Congress on Tuesday, following his son Brijendra Singh’s recent switch to the party. The joining ceremony took place at the Congress headquarters in the national capital, with the notable presence of leaders like Randeep Surjewala and Pawan Khera. Birendra Singh’s wife, Premlata Singh, also joined the party alongside him.
In his remarks at the event, Singh emphasized that his return to the Congress signifies a return to ideology. He criticized the BJP’s approach in Haryana over the past decade, stating, “In the last ten years, you (BJP) did not make anybody your own.” He described the move not just as a return to the party but also as a revival of ideology.
Birendra Singh, who previously served as Union steel minister and held other ministerial portfolios, including rural development and Panchayati Raj, had also been a minister in the Congress-led government in Haryana.
His son, Brijendra Singh, who is the incumbent MP from Hisar, resigned from the Lok Sabha and BJP to join the Congress last month, citing compelling political reasons. The father-son duo had previously diverged from the BJP’s stance on various issues, including extending support to protesting farmers and expressing solidarity with wrestlers.
Brijendra’s decision to leave the BJP was influenced by factors such as the party’s alliance with the Jannayak Janata Party (JJP) led by Dushyant Chautala. Despite winning the Hisar seat by a significant margin in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the subsequent alliance with JJP and the entry of former MP Kuldeep Bishnoi into the BJP posed challenges.
With the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha Elections, alliances and political realignments in Haryana, such as the AAP-Congress alliance, are shaping the state’s political landscape. The state, currently under the BJP-led NDA, will witness intense political activity as parties prepare for the single-phase polls scheduled for May 25, with results expected on June 4.