Fractious Haryana Congress displays show of unity as Birender Singh rejoins party

The return of former Union minister Birender Singh to the Congress fold turned out to be an occasion for display of unity for the fractious Haryana unit of the opposition party. Leaders of various factions in the state Congress have been holding separate rallies across the state and have hardly been seen together on a common platform. Even social functions, including weddings in the families of top leaders in the state, had failed to bring together the factions.

However, as Singh and his ex-MLA wife Prem Lata joined the party after a decade-long gap, all factions of its state unit were seen together after a long time.

Those present when Singh joined the party at the Congress headquarters here included former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, party general secretaries Kumari Selja and Randeep Surjewala and former state Assembly speaker Speaker Kiran Chaudhary.

Haryana Congress leaders even made a call for unity to help bring the party back to power in the state.

Assembly polls in Haryana will be held later this year and the Congress is rearing to wrest back power from the BJP. It has been out of power in the state for the last 10 years.

Former chief minister Bhupinder Hooda made a fervent call on the need for everyone to be together to save the country’s Constitution and democracy. “We need to increase our strength by displaying unity. Only then will we be able to save democracy and the Constitution,” he said. On his rejoining the Congress, Birender Singh said, “It is not just a homecoming but it is also a return to my ideology”. The former Union minister said he was saying this because he has certain beliefs and has followed them earnestly.

Haryana Congress is plagued by factionalism and leaders have been stressing on unity to oust the BJP in the state assembly elections later this year.