Suspended Congress MLA Renu Bala’s husband joins BJP

Chandigarh: In a politically significant move, Rishi Pal, husband of suspended Congress MLA Renu Bala, joined the BJP on Friday in the presence of chief minister Nayab Singh Saini at a function held in Sadhaura Assembly constituency.Welcoming Rishi Pal and his supporters into the BJP fold, chief minister Saini said the move reflected their faith in the BJP's policies and development agenda. He assured Rishi Pal that he would be assigned responsibilities in accordance with the party's organisational norms. The chief minister was accorded a warm reception by Rishi Pal, BJP leaders and supporters during the programme.Interestingly, Sadhaura MLA Renu Bala did not attend the political event, although sources said she was involved in organising arrangements for her husband's induction. Renu Bala is among the five Congress MLAs whose primary membership has been suspended by the party over alleged cross-voting against the Congress candidate in the Rajya Sabha elections.The other suspended legislators are Shalley Chaudhary (Naraingarh), Jarnail Singh (Ratia), Mohammad Ilyas (Punhana) and Mohammad Israel (Hathin). While these MLAs have largely stayed away from Congress programmes in recent months, they have increasingly been seen sharing platforms with BJP leaders and govt functionaries. Political observers view Rishi Pal's entry into the BJP as part of the ruling party's strategy to further weaken the Congress and consolidate its position in the state. In May, the Haryana govt included the five suspended Congress MLAs as state invitees at district-level govt programmes, and several of them recently shared the stage with the chief minister during the launch of govt schemes. Reacting to the development, Haryana Congress president Rao Narender Singh downplayed its significance, saying family members are free to join any political party. He asserted that such moves would ultimately strengthen the Congress rather than weaken it. MSID: 131533730 413 |