Former Pundri MLA Tejvir Singh defects to Congress, deals blow to BJP ahead of assembly election

Former MLA from Pundri, Tejvir Singh, has joined the Congress in the presence of former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, giving a significant jolt to the ruling BJP in Haryana ahead of the assembly election. Tejvir Singh, who has a strong political legacy due to his father Chaudhary Ishwar Singh, was elected as an MLA from Pundri in 2000 as an Independent candidate after quitting the Congress over the denial of a ticket.

His father, Ishwar Singh, was a prominent political figure who served as MLA from Pundri four times — once as an Independent in 1968 and thrice on the Congress ticket in 1972, 1982, and 1991. During his tenure, Ishwar Singh held several important positions, including Speaker of Haryana Assembly from 1991-96, Deputy Chairman of Haryana State Planning Board, and Chairman of Haryana State Agricultural Marketing Board.

After winning the Pundri seat in 2000, Tejvir Singh rejoined the Congress in 2004 and remained with the party until 2014. However, he shifted his allegiance to the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) for the 2014 assembly election, where he contested but lost. Tejvir rejoined the Congress in 2015 before eventually joining BJP ahead of the 2019 assembly election under the leadership of then CM Manohar Lal Khattar.

Tejvir Singh expressed disappointment with BJP, accusing the party of betrayal. “I was hopeful of getting a ticket, but it was given to a newcomer. BJP has betrayed me and my supporters. We worked hard on the ground, but the party did not recognize our efforts and denied us the ticket,” he said.

Singh announced his plans to campaign actively against the BJP candidate and support the Congress candidate from the Pundri segment, Sultan Singh Jadola. “We are confident that Jadola will win by a record margin, and the Congress will form the next government with around 70 seats under the leadership of Bhupinder Singh Hooda,” Tejvir added.

Tejvir emphasised his commitment to campaigning in constituencies with significant Ror community representation, around 10 in total, citing his father’s influence as a leader for all sections of society. “My father, Chaudhary Ishwar Singh, worked tirelessly for people across the state, serving in various capacities,” he said.