NEW DELHI: In a significant political move, Birender Singh, a prominent Jat leader and former Union minister from Haryana, along with his wife Prem Lata Singh, a former BJP MLA, announced their decision to join the Congress party, dealing a big blow to the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP). The announcement was made in the presence of senior Congress leaders including Ajay Maken, Mukul Wasnik, and Pawan Khera, among others.
#WATCH | Former BJP leaders Chaudhry Birender Singh and his wife Premlata Singh join the Congress Party, in Delhi
Their son and former BJP leader Brijendra Singh had joined the Congress Party recently. pic.twitter.com/cV0EGeOtoW
— ANI (@ANI) April 9, 2024
A Family Affair: Political Shifts In Haryana
This move comes on the heels of Singh’s son, Brijendra Singh, joining the Congress a month earlier, signalling a political realignment within the state. The decision to switch parties was preceded by the resignation of both Birender Singh and his wife, Prem Lata, from the BJP, citing ideological differences as the driving force behind their departure.
A Legacy Of Political Influence
Birender Singh’s political journey spans over four decades, initially with the Congress party before crossing over to the BJP nearly ten years ago. Birender Singh is the maternal grandson of the peasant leader, Sir Chhotu Ram. His father Chaudhary Neki Ram was a politician in joint Punjab. Birender Singh’s maternal, Sir Chhotu Ram, is regarded as the Jat icon of the state. Singh remained in Congress for decades before joining BJP in 2014 and later served as Union minister in the first Narendra Modi cabinet between 2014-19.
He graduated from Government College, Rohtak and completed his law degree at Panjab University, Chandigarh. During this development, Singh was active in sports, captaining the district. Jind cricket team 1964–67 and playing with Punjab University Team (1969–70). Birender Singh’s wife Prem Lata Singh has been a member of the legislative assembly of Haryana representing the Uchana Kalan constituency from 2014 to 2019. His son Brijendra Singh was previously a bureaucrat who served as an IAS officer of the 1998 Batch and was posted in Haryana for 21 years. He was elected as a Member of Parliament from Hisar in the 2019 general elections.
A Shift In Ideology And Allegiance
Despite his tenure with the BJP, Singh expressed a sense of ideological misalignment with the party, particularly regarding issues concerning the Jat community and farmers. He cited dissatisfaction with the party’s alliance with the Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) and its handling of farmer-related policies as key reasons for his departure. According to people close to him, the socio-political dynamics of his constituency or his state revolve widely around Kisan (farmer), Jawan (solider), and Khiladi (sportsperson). However, the interest of all these sections was widely overlooked under the BJP regime. Singh and his family also expressed solidarity with wrestlers, who were protesting against former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief and BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, who has been accused of sexual harassment.
Voicing Concerns and Seeking Change
Singh’s departure from the BJP underscores broader concerns within the party regarding its stance on critical issues such as farmer welfare, youth empowerment, and athlete support. His vocal advocacy for these causes within party forums reflects a desire for tangible policy changes and a departure from perceived insensitivity towards marginalized communities.
Political Implications In Haryana
The Congress party sees Singh’s defection, along with his familial ties to the Jat community, as an opportunity to consolidate support among key voter demographics in Haryana. With the upcoming Lok Sabha elections looming, the strategic alliance with the Singh family aims to bolster the party’s standing in a state where political dynamics are heavily influenced by Jat-non-Jat divides.
