Hours after resigning from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday, Brijendra Singh, former BJP MP from Hisar, Haryana, formally joined the opposition party at Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge’s residence in New Delhi on Sunday.
Upon joining the Congress at the president’s official residence, Brijendra Singh cited ‘ideological differences’ as the primary reason for his defection.
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“I quit the BJP and joined the Congress because of political and ideological differences. From farmers’ issues to Agniveers to the wrestlers’ protests – I differed on many things. I am very happy to join the Congress family,” he said.
Earlier, taking to his official handle on X, Singh posted, “I have resigned from the primary membership of the BJP due to compelling political reasons. I extend gratitude to the party, national president JP Nadda, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Amit Shah for giving me the opportunity to serve as the Member of Parliament for Hisar.”
Additionally, he declared his resignation from the Lok Sabha membership, expressing gratitude to the people of Hisar for allowing him to represent them and address their concerns as their MP. The commitment to public service, which led him to leave his IAS job and enter politics, will persist.
Senior Congress leaders, including Ajay Maken, Mukul Wasnik, and Deepak Babaria, were present at the residence of party chief Mallikarjun Kharge when Brijendra Singh joined the party.
“One issue that was raised in the rally in Jind on 2nd October was about the alliance of BJP-JJP in Haryana. A decision was taken regarding it and that too is a reason (for quitting BJP),” Singh told ANI.
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There is speculation about the seat-sharing arrangement between the Bharatiya Janata Party and Jannayak Janata Party for the upcoming Lok Sabha election. In the 2019 Haryana assembly polls, JJP won 10 seats and formed a post-poll alliance with the BJP, which was six seats short of the majority mark, leading to the government’s formation. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP secured all 10 seats in Haryana.
Brijendra Singh, who was a Member of Parliament from Haryana’s Hisar, serves on several parliamentary panels. He is the son of former Union Minister and BJP leader Birender Singh and the great-grandson of Jat icon Chhotu Ram.
Last year, Brijendra Singh publicly supported the wrestlers protesting against BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh over alleged sexual harassment allegations.
In Haryana, the Aam Aadmi Party and the Congress, both part of the opposition bloc, INDIA, will contest in alliance. According to their agreement, AAP will contest from Kurukshetra, while Congress will vie for the remaining nine seats in the state.