Lok Sabha Polls: Who Is Birender Singh? Ex-Union Minister Set For Congress Return After 10 Yrs With BJP
Birender Singh served as the Union steel minister in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's first government.
Ex-Union minister Chaudhary Birender Singh along with his wife, former MLA Prem Lata Singh, announced on Monday that they have resigned from the BJP and will join the Congress party on Tuesday. This decision comes after their son Brijendra Singh's recent entry into the grand old party, nearly a month ago.
On March 10, Brijendra Singh, aged 51, an IAS officer-turned-politician, joined the Congress after resigning from the BJP. Brijender, who was elected to Parliament from Hisar in 2019, also stepped down from his Lok Sabha membership.
Tussle Over Hisar's Lok Sabha Seat
As Brijendra Singh's switch created a vacancy in the NDA's Lok Sabha candidate lineup, the Jannayak Janata Party (JJP), led by Dushyant Chautala and an ally of the NDA (National Democratic Alliance) in Haryana, staked its claim to the Hisar seat. However, the BJP did not agree to the JJP's demands.
The BJP on March 12 snapped its alliance with the JJP and installed a new chief minister in the state.
The Jannayak Janata Party (JJP) sought the Hisar and Bhiwani-Mahendragarh Lok Sabha seats, but the BJP appears reluctant to share the tickets with its NDA partner. Following Brijendra Lal Singh's switch to the Congress, the BJP currently holds 9 seats in the state. The incumbent MP is Jat leader Dharambir Singh, renowned for his ability to challenge and defeat influential political families in electoral contests.
Who Is Chaudhary Birender Singh?
Birender Singh served as the Union steel minister in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's first government. Additionally, he held portfolios such as rural development, Panchayati Raj, and drinking water and sanitation.
Birender Singh, the maternal grandson of farmers leader Chhotu Ram, parted ways with the Congress before the 2014 general election to join the BJP. Prior to this move, he had won five assembly elections from the Uchana assembly constituency in Jind district and held ministerial positions in Congress-led governments in Haryana on three separate occasions.
Upon his entry into the BJP in 2014, Singh was appointed to the Rajya Sabha and subsequently elevated to the position of Union minister as a form of recognition for his contributions.
Opposition To JJP-BJP Alliance
Birender Singh's disagreements with the BJP stemmed from the party's alliance with the JJP, particularly regarding the Uchana Kalan assembly constituency, which was considered the stronghold of his family.
In the October 2014 assembly polls, Birender's wife, Prem Lata, ran as a BJP candidate and emerged victorious against Dushyant Chautala, who was then the INLD nominee. Notably, Dushyant, who was a sitting MP from Hisar, contested the 2014 assembly elections from Uchana.
In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Brijendra Singh, as the BJP candidate from Hisar, secured a victory over JJP candidate Dushyant Chautala by a margin of over 300,000 votes.
Subsequently, in the October 2019 assembly polls, Dushyant Chautala, contesting as a JJP nominee, defeated Prem Lata in Uchana Kalan. Following the elections, Dushyant formed a post-poll alliance with the BJP, leading to the formation of the coalition government, which remained in power until March 12, 2024.
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