Bir Devinder Singh, Punjab Vidhan Sabha’s former deputy speaker, has lived up to his reputation, once again— hopping from one party to another.
Well-known as the “party-hopper”, Bir Devinder on Tuesday joined another political outfit—Shiromani Akali Dal (Taksali)—after trying almost every party in the State right from the Congress to Akali Dal (Badal), to People’s Party of Punjab (PPP), and even contesting elections as an independent.
Starting his political journey with the All India Sikh Student Federation (AISSF) in 1971, Bir Devinder has been “out of job” since past three years after the Congress high command shown him the door for speaking against his bête noire Capt Amarinder Singh.
Bir Devinder joined hands with the rebel Akali leaders — Ranjit Singh Brahmpura, Rattan Singh Ajnala and Sewa Singh Sekhwan—to “help Taksalis gain strength to fill the prevailing vacuum in political circles” ahead 2019 Lok Sabha elections. The SAD (Taksali), which has joined hands with other splinter groups under the banner of Punjab Democratic Alliance, may consider fielding Bir Devinder.
Serving the AISSF from 1971-77, Bir Devinder joined the Congress in 1978 when Sanjay Gandhi was in control of things in the party, and was elected MLA on Congress ticket in 1980.
After the Operation Bluestar in 1984 when most of the Sikh leaders in Congress, including Capt Amarinder Singh, part ways with the party, Bir Devinder decided to continue and ended up losing the election in 1985.
Beant Singh took over the reins of Punjab Congress unit in 1986, and Bir Devinder left the party to oppose him.
Later on, he tried to rejoin the Congress ahead 1992 elections, but Beant Singh did not allow him to make a comeback, and he contested as an independent from Sirhind and faced defeat.
But after Beant Singh’s assassination, he managed to re-join the Congress with the help of the then state Congress chief Capt Amarinder in 1999 and won 2002 assembly elections from Kharar assembly segment and was elected Deputy Speaker of Vidhan Sabha in 2003.
But his bonhomie with the Congress, especially Capt Amarinder, did not continue for long and he left the party in 2008 and joined the Akali Dal.
After remaining with the Badals for almost two years, he left SAD in 2010, and went on to join Manpreet Singh Badal’s newly-formed People’s Party of Punjab (PPP). But his spell with the PPP also did not last long, and left the PPP.
But when the Congress didn’t take him back in 2011, Bir Devinder again pressured Manpreet through NRIs and rejoined the PPP to contest the 2012 assembly elections, as a candidate of Sanjha Morcha, and lost badly.
He again left PPP, and then made attempts to seek an entry into either of the Congress or the Akali Dal. But as the two traditional parties refused to show him a green signal, he went missing from the State political scene in 2012.
With the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) emerging in the state politics, it comes as a ray of hope for Bir Devinder. But as the things failed to materialize with AAP, he again re-joined the Congress in 2014, before Lok Sabha elections, under the leadership of the then state party president Partap Singh Bajwa.
But, known for his candid attitude, Bir Devinder was again shown the door when he spoke against Capt Amarinder, whom he had described as “hero” while rejoining.