Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)’s Hisar Lok Sabha member Brijendra Singh on Sunday quit the party due to “compelling political reasons” and joined the Congress within a few hours. He later also resigned as the Lok Sabha member.
Formally joining the Congress in the presence of party’s national president Mallikarjun Kharge, Mr. Singh said that he took the decision to quit the BJP as he was “uncomfortable” and “not in agreement” over a few issues, including the farmers movement, the Agniveer scheme and the wrestlers protest. “I am grateful to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP for the five-year term as Lok Sabha member. But I had to take this decision since I was not comfortable over some political issues that had come up over the long time,” said Mr. Singh.
His resignation, however, came amid the speculations of a possible alliance between the BJP and the Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) for the forthcoming Lok Sabha election and the latter eyeing the Hisar and the Bhiwani-Mahendragarh Lok Sabha seats.
Speaking to the mediapersons ahead of party’s co-ordination committee meeting in Sirsa during the day, JJP leader and Haryana Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala had expressed confidence of a possible alliance between the two parties. “Two rounds of meetings for alliance have been held. Once the things become clear, we will share the information. Our choice, however, is clear. Our priorities are Hisar and Bhiwani-Mahendragarh Lok Sabha seats in case of an alliance,” said Mr. Chautala.
Mr. Singh’s father and former Union Steel Minister Birender Singh had at a rally in Haryana’s Jind on October 2 last year threatened to quit BJP over its alliance with the JJP in the State and advised the saffron party to go solo in the polls. Speaking at the rally, Mr. Birender Singh had also hinted at his possible return to Congress saying that he had “full respect” in the party while being with it for four decades.
