The Congress admittedly did not treat the grandson of legendary peasant leader Sir Chotu Ram of the erstwhile United Punjab with the reverence that he thought he deserved.
Birender Singh spent over 40 years of his political life with the Grand Old Party. But his patience was apparently exhausted when Manmohan Singh ignored him in the Cabinet reshuffle that took place in 2013.
In the run-up to the Lok Sabha polls, the Jat leader seemed resigned to the loss of his party. Finally, in August, he joined the BJP at a public rally during the Haryana Assembly elections where he shared the dais with party President Amit Shah. The BJP went on to win a majority in the 90-member Assembly and it was only a matter of time that the elderly leader’s ambitions were met.
His induction as a Cabinet Minister is a clear signal to the community. The BJP’s victory in Haryana was largely due to the consolidation of non-Jat voters. The Jats overwhelmingly voted for Om Prakash Chautala-led Indian National Lok Dal.
The BJP would like to win over the support of this dominant community in Haryana even though for the first time since the creation of the State, the party has appointed a non-Jat as the Chief Minister.
By inducting Birender Singh into the Cabinet, the BJP is hoping to keep the Jat community happy.