Tug-of-war for Uchana assembly: Eye on polls, Birender Singh family, Chautalas train guns
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and former Union minister Birender Singh, and his son and Hisar MP Brijendra Singh are openly challenging Jannayak Janya Party (JJP) leader and deputy chief minister Dushyant Chautala, who currently represents the Uchana assembly seat. This even as the BJP is in alliance with the JJP in the state.
Though there is still a year left before Haryana goes to the polls, the tug-of-war for the Uchana assembly seat in Jind district has already started with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and former Union minister Birender Singh, and his son and Hisar MP Brijendra Singh openly challenging Jannayak Janya Party (JJP) leader and deputy chief minister Dushyant Chautala, who currently represents the seat.
This even as the BJP is in alliance with the JJP in the state.
Both sides are trading barbs at each other and claiming stakes over the seat.
In 2014, Dushyant had lost the seat to Prem Lata, Brijendra’s mother, only to emerge victorious from the seat in 2019.
With both sides eyeing to contest from Uchana in 2024, a war of words ensued last week as Birender held a gathering in Uchana on his birthday and took potshots at Dushyant. Addressing the gathering, Birender said, “You (people) have elected an outsider and see the results. He failed to bring a single new project here. Even his personal assistant is an outsider. This shows how much he respects you. You defeated me every time when I was close to becoming the chief minister of the state. Prem Lata fought for your rights and you defeated her in the last polls. I know you had a problem with the BJP but the person whom you elected is also supporting the BJP.”
He further said, “They (Chautalas) know how to fool you. This time he (Dushyant) will claim that he will become CM and you will fall in his trap. I am advising you to elect your own people, who respect you and know your pain,” the veteran BJP leader said.
Later, Singh’s IAS-turned-MP son Brijendra Singh trained guns at Dushyant.
Brijendra Singh said the BJP has been in power at the Centre for the last nine years and in Haryana, for the last eight-and-a-half years and that they are capable of winning elections on their own.
“The BJP does not need any crutch in Haryana. Our state chief OP Dhankar had clarified that we are capable of winning all 10 Lok Sabha seats on our own. JJP leaders themselves are asking public to remove deputy from Dushyant’s name. Everyone understood the message delivered by our state president,” he added.
The MP also said his family will definitely contest the next assembly polls from Uchana, whether or not the BJP snaps ties with JJP.
Digvijay hits back at Birender Singh
Meanwhile, JJP leader Digvijay Singh Chautala hit back at Hisar MP Brijendra Singh and his father Birender Singh, reminding them of the “alliance dharma” and asking them to respect it.
He further said that Birender Singh is irked with Dushyant’s popularity.
“Most people don’t know the name of Hisar MP. But when Dushyant was the MP, the entire nation knew him. Birender Singh and his son are giving out statements against the alliance to serve their own personal interests. We are committed to elect Dushyant as the next CM of Haryana and are ready to face Birender Singh and his family in the next polls,” he added.
In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, Brijendra had defeated Dushyant from Hisar Lok Sabha seat.
