former-union-minister-birender-singh-and-wife-return-to-congress-marks-ghar-wapsi-and-vichar-wapsi

Former Union minister Birender Singh and his ex-MLA wife Prem Lata rejoined the Congress on Tuesday, a decade after their departure from the party.

 

Their return follows their son Brijendra Singh's recent switch to the Congress after leaving the BJP.

 

Birender Singh, 78, hailing from the lineage of farmer leader Sir Chhotu Ram, had defected from the Congress in 2014 to join the BJP. He served as the Union minister for steel in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's first government, overseeing portfolios including rural development, panchayati raj, and drinking water and sanitation.

 

Upon his return to the Congress, Birender Singh expressed, "It is not just my 'ghar wapsi' but also 'vichar wapsi'." Mukul Wasnik, a prominent Congress leader, welcomed the couple's return, expressing confidence that their presence would bolster the party's standing in Haryana and aid in forming a Congress-led government in the state.

 

Former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda celebrated Birender Singh's reentry, stating, "With his rejoining, he has proven the age-old saying, 'East or West, Home is the best'." Hooda emphasized the significance of unity within the party for the preservation of democracy and the Constitution.

 

AICC general secretary Randeep Surjewala described the occasion as emotional, extending a warm welcome to Birender Singh into the party fold. Notable Congress figures such as Kumari Selja, Haryana party chief Uday Bhan, former Haryana Assembly speaker Kiran Chaudhary, former Punjab deputy chief minister Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, and AICC OBC Cell head Capt Ajay Singh were also present to mark the event.