After a decade-long tenure within the BJP, Birender Singh, a prominent Jat figure in Haryana and former Union Minister, alongside his wife Premlata Singh, officially returned to the Congress fold in Delhi on Tuesday.
Their decision to rejoin the Congress follows their son, Brijendra Singh, a current MP, who made the switch to the Congress just last month. With deep-rooted influence in Haryana's political landscape, the Singh family's move holds significant sway, especially with the impending Assembly polls slated for October, following the Lok Sabha elections for the 10 seats scheduled on May 25.
Premlata Singh, a former BJP legislator in Haryana, and Birender Singh, who previously served as a Union Minister in the first Modi Cabinet, made their re-entry into the Congress in the presence of notable figures including Mukul Wasnik and two-term Chief Minister Bhupinder Hooda.
When questioned about the rationale behind leaving the BJP, Birender Singh cited various factors. "Upon joining the BJP in 2014, I anticipated some ideological disparities between the two parties. However, with time, these differences appeared to be more pronounced," he explained.
Addressing the ongoing farmers' agitation, Singh emphasized that he had consistently raised concerns within the party regarding farmers' grievances and the urgent need for resolution. "Despite my efforts to provide suggestions, it seemed they were falling on deaf ears," he lamented.
Birender Singh, a respected leader within the Jat community, initially joined the BJP in August 2014, strategically timed before the Haryana Assembly elections.
His re-entry into the Congress is widely perceived as a strategic move to engage and garner support from Jat voters across Haryana, Rajasthan, and western Uttar Pradesh.
The succession of events leading to Brijendra Singh's departure from the BJP and subsequent entry into the Congress sheds light on the family's political dynamics. Brijendra Singh's resignation as a BJP MP on March 10, citing "compelling political reasons," marked a significant shift. This decision came months after his father's public ultimatum at a rally in Jind, where he warned of his departure from the BJP if it continued its alliance with the Jannayak Janata Party (JJP).
Within two days of Brijendra Singh's transition to the Congress, the BJP severed its ties with the JJP, signaling a recalibration in political alliances.
Brijendra Singh, the great-grandson of the esteemed Jat leader Sir Chhotu Ram, adds another layer to the family's storied political legacy.
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