Amid tussle with JJP, BJP Hisar MP Brijendra Singh joins Congress

Tribune News Service

New Delhi/Hisar, March 10

In a setback to the BJP in Haryana, Hisar MP Brijendra Singh today resigned from party’s primary membership and joined the Congress just weeks ahead of the General Election. Brijendra was official inducted into the Congress at party president Mallikarjun Kharge’s residence in New Delhi.

Opposed to alliance partner

Continuation of the BJP-JJP alliance is detrimental to political plans of Birender’s family, which has high stakes in Jind’s Uchana Kalan Assembly segment and Hisar Lok Sabha seat

His father and senior BJP leader Chaudhary Birender Singh has been engaged in a war of words with Deputy CM and JJP leader Dushyant Chautala over seat-sharing arrangement in the state. The JJP is BJP’s ally in the state.

“I quit the BJP and joined the Congress because of political and ideological differences. From farmers’ issues to ‘Agniveers’ to the wrestlers’ protest — I differed on many things. I am happy to join the Congress family,” said Brijendra. The bureaucrat-turned-politician is likely to be the Congress’ candidate from Hisar in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.

“I have resigned from the primary membership of the BJP due to compelling political reasons. I extend gratitude to the party, national president JP Nadda, PM Narendra Modi and Amit Shah for giving me the opportunity to serve as the MP of Hisar,” he posted on X.

“I have also resigned from LS membership. I am grateful to the people of Hisar for giving me the opportunity to represent them and raise their demands as their MP. The resolve of public service with which I left the IAS job will continue,” he added.

Birender, who at one point was seen as a serious contender for the post of Haryana CM, had quit the Congress in 2014 to join the BJP. His father is a grandson of eminent Jat leader Sir Chhotu Ram.

In the 2019 LS poll, Brijendra had defeated JJP leader Dushyant Chautala, grandson of former Deputy PM Devi Lal and Bhavya Bishnoi, grandson of former Haryana CM Bhajan Lal, who was then with the Congress, to win the Hisar seat. Dushyant has staked claim to the Hisar seat.

Political rivalry between Birender and Dushyant over common political ground in the Uchana Assembly segment of Jind district and Hisar LS constituency seems to have led to Brijendra’s exit.

Birender himself is likely to leave the BJP at a public function on March 23 or 26, to coincide with this birthday, in Jind and join the Congress.

His wife Prem Lata, who is a former BJP MLA from Uchana, is also likely to follow suit. Dushyant had defeated Lata in the 2019 Assembly poll and later joined hands with the BJP to form a coalition government in Haryana.

Last October, Birender had served an ultimatum on the BJP leadership to either snap ties with the JJP or see his exit from the party. Both Birender and Dushyant continued to exchange barbs over their political stands.

Sources said Brijendra had met senior Congress leadership recently and even conveyed to the BJP leadership about his move (to leave the BJP) if the party continued its alliance with the JJP.

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