Haryana: Former JJP chief to join Congress on April 29

Former state president of Jannayak Janata party (JJP) Nishan Singh will join the Congress party in Chandigarh on Monday in the presence of former Haryana chief minister (CM) Bhupinder Singh Hooda, party’s Haryana affairs in-charge Deepak Babria and state chief Udai Bhan Singh.

The former Tohana MLA announced quitting the JJP on April 8 and sent his resignation letter to the party’s national president Ajay Chautala the next day.

Confirming the development, Nishan said he will join the Congress party in Chandigarh on Monday. He said his workers asked him to join the Congress and he is joining the party without any desire for a ticket.

The former JJP state chief was perceived to be a trusted ally of former deputy chief minister Dushyant Chautala.

Nishan is a former MLA of the Tohana segment in Fatehabad and as JJP chief he enjoyed the trust of top JJP leaders.

He had won from the Tohana assembly segment in 2000 on the Indian National Lok Dal’s (INLD) ticket and lost three consecutive polls in 2005, 2009 and 2014. In the 2019 polls, the JJP had given a ticket to Congress’ Devender Singh Babli, who defeated the then BJP state chief Subhash Barala.

Many JJP leaders had quit the party since the BJP snapped ties with the party.