Former Union Minister Threatens BJP Exit Over Haryana Alliance, Hints at Congress Return

Former Union Steel Minister Birender Singh, addressing a rally in Jind, Haryana, on October 2, has issued a stern ultimatum to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) regarding its alliance with the Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) in the state. Singh, who has a political history of four decades, hinted at his potential return to the Congress, citing his deep respect for the party.

Source: https://www.thehindu.com/

Former Union Steel Minister Birender Singh, addressing a rally in Jind, Haryana, on October 2, has issued a stern ultimatum to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) regarding its alliance with the Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) in the state. Singh, who has a political history of four decades, hinted at his potential return to the Congress, citing his deep respect for the party.

In a fiery speech at the "Meri Aawaz Suno (Listen To Me)" rally, Singh launched a scathing attack on an unnamed JJP leader, alluding to Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala as the embodiment of Chaudhary Devi Lal. He accused this leader of deceiving the public and alleged involvement in corrupt practices, claiming that people had reported demands for commissions of 8-10%.

Singh warned the BJP against relying on the JJP for electoral success, stating that the JJP leaders themselves were unlikely to secure significant votes. He emphasized that he had consistently voiced his opinions and stood with the farmers' movement and wrestlers' agitation, setting himself apart from his party on these issues.

While this rally was seemingly non-political, it served as Singh's attempt to assert his political relevance ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha elections. His family's claim to the Uchana Kalan assembly segment and Hisar Lok Sabha seat, currently held by his son Brijendra Singh, appears to be at risk if the BJP-JJP alliance persists.

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Dushyant Chautala, who previously contested and lost the Hisar Lok Sabha election as a JJP candidate, could become a strong contender for the seat if the BJP allies with his party in the Lok Sabha polls. Similarly, the Uchana Kalan assembly segment, Mr. Singh's home turf, is currently represented by Chautala, who defeated Mr. Singh's wife, Prem Lata, in the 2019 Vidhan Sabha polls and plans to contest the next assembly polls from Uchana Kalan.

Singh, along with several other leaders who had defected from the Congress to join the BJP in 2014, claimed to have significantly contributed to the party's electoral success in Haryana. He vowed to continue his fight against those who sought to divide people along lines of caste and religion.