As a BJP MP in Haryana changes sides, and his father waits to jump ship, how Congress is strengthened

Brijendra is the son of veteran BJP leader Chaudhary Birender Singh who, according to Congress leader Ajay Maken, will soon follow in the footsteps of his son and join the grand old party at a public meeting.

In the past, the father-son duo often defied the BJP’s stand on several issues. In 2020, they sided with the protesting farmers to demand the withdrawal of the now-repealed farm laws. They also expressed solidarity with wrestlers who protested against former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief and BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh over allegations of sexual harassment.

The Hisar MP said the BJP’s decision to ally with the Dushyant Chautala-led Jannayak Janata Party (JJP) was also one of the reasons for his exit from the party. Last October, at a rally in Jind, Birender warned the BJP that he would leave the party if it allied with the JJP for the Lok Sabha polls.

Brijendra defeated Chautala by more than two lakh votes in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls when the BJP swept the state, winning all 10 seats. However, a few months later in the Assembly elections, the JJP chief defeated Brijendra’s mother Prem Lata by more than 40,000 votes from Uchana Kalan.

Following the elections, the BJP allied with the JJP, a move that did not go down well with the Singhs as the contenders for the Hisar seat began to grow, especially with the induction of former Hisar MP Kuldeep Bishnoi into the BJP in 2023.

A JJP leader, however, said Brijendra’s family was only giving another ultimatum like in the past. “His resignation came a day after Chautala reminded him about his threat of leaving the BJP over our alliance. He should take calls based on politics and not worry about the JJP,” the leader said.

On the other hand, Brijendra’s entry into the Congress seems to have provided the party with a strong contender in Hisar. With Birender, who is the maternal grandson of farmer leader Sir Chhotu Ram and the son of Chaudhary Neki Ram, waiting in the ranks, Congress leaders are upbeat about the party’s prospects.

Party insiders said Brijendra would not only boost the party’s chances in Haryana but also in neighbouring Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, which have a sizable population of Jats. “When a sitting BJP MP leaves, it is a clear sign that the Congress is coming back to power,” said Haryana Congress communications in-charge Chandvir Singh Hooda.

Senior Congress leader Kumari Selja welcomed Brijendra into the party. “Today is a happy day for me. I hope Chaudhary Birendra Singh will join us soon in our battle for justice,” she said.

Why Birender had left Congress

Birender shifted from the Congress to the BJP ahead of the 2014 Haryana Assembly polls. He has been a three-time Rajya Sabha MP and a Union Minister. Birender resigned from the Upper House in 2020 after Brijendra, a 1998-batch IAS officer who opted for voluntary retirement to enter politics, was elected Hisar MP.

Hailing from Dumarkha Kalan, Birender has twice served as Haryana Congress chief and is a five-time MLA from Uchana Kala. He has thrice been a minister in the Haryana government. In 1984, he defeated Om Prakash Chautala, who later became Haryana CM, from the Hisar Lok Sabha seat by a huge margin.

It is widely believed that Birender came closest to becoming the CM in 1991 when then party president Rajiv Gandhi backed his candidature. However, following Gandhi’s assassination in May 1991, he was pipped by Bhajan Lal, who managed to garner the support of 26 MLAs as against Birender’s 25.

In 2011, Birender was appointed the All India Congress Committee (AICC) in charge of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh and led the party to victories in the Assembly elections of the two states.

Observers believe that Birender’s decision in 2014 to leave the Congress was a political mistake, especially given his proximity to senior leader Sonia Gandhi. However, his supporters argue it was impossible for him to stay in the party after former Haryana CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda stalled his entry into the Union Cabinet months before the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.

While Birender’s prospective return to the party is being viewed positively, a section of Congress leaders are wary of him as they fear factionalism will intensify. Three senior leaders – Selja, Randeep Singh Surjewala, and Kiran Choudhury – have already held parallel meetings to Hooda’s events across the state.

However, a close aide of Hooda said, “Things have changed in the political landscape of Haryana over the past 10 years. At this juncture, both Birender and Hooda realise the importance of staying united.”

State BJP chief spokesperson Sanjay Sharma said, “The Congress could not give them as much as the BJP did but there is no end to ambition. While the Congress did not even make him (Birendra) a Union minister, the BJP even made his son an MP. They are joining a sinking ship which will touch its lowest ever tally (in the Lok Sabha elections).”