In Haryana, Congressman Brijendra Singh’s ‘Sadbhav Yatra’ Is Creating Interest

Jalandhar: Former Hisar MP Brijendra Singh, the grandson of legendary Jat and farmer leader Sir Chhotu Ram and the son of ex-Union minister Birender Singh, has been leading a 'Sadbhav Yatra' that appears to have struck a chord in a state not normally known in the recent past to pitch for ‘sadbhav’ or fraternity.

The ‘Sadbhav Yatra' with a tagline of 'Congress ka haat, bhaichare ke saath’ – Congress's hand symbol is with brotherhood – has received little to no attention in big media, but on the ground, the sight of an ex-MP, hoping to stitch the state together and not advocating polarisation has people keen on listening.

The Sadbhav Yatra is being held at a time when there is no immediate political emergency; after all, assembly elections were held just a year ago.

'Aimed at countering divisive politics of BJP': Brijendra Singh

A vice-chairman of the foreign department of the AICC, Brijendra Singh launched the Yatra on October 5, 2025 from Danoda village in Narwana constituency. The yatra would cover all 90 assembly constituencies of Haryana. Brijendra had lost his seat of Uchana Kalan by just 32 votes, the slimmest victory margin in the 2024 Haryana elections. He had even gone to court asking for a recount, but the Supreme Court in October put on pause on his bid to get votes counted again. The matter will be heard again on January 19, 2026.

“Sadbhav Yatra is inspired by Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra”, Brijendra told The Wire.

The launch of the yatra itself was not without buzz, as the Hooda camp led by ex-CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda and Haryana Congress president Rao Narender Singh maintained their distance. Kaithal MP Randeep Surjewala and Rajasthan MP Rahul Kaswa attended the launch day functions.

Haryana Congress's Brijendra Singh during the Sadbhav Yatra in Haryana. Photo: By arrangement.

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The yatra, which has so far covered villages like Bigowa, Achina, Jhinjer and Bhageshwari in Dadri constituency, Karontha and Baland in Kalanaur assembly constituency, and Kheri Meham, Nidana and Lakhan Majra in the Meham assembly constituency among others, has completed two phases. It was likely to continue for the next four to five months.

Brijendra shared that Sadbhav Yatra was his brainchild, which was aimed at reviving social harmony in Haryana against BJP’s divisive politics.

“It was launched after the approval of Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, Indian National Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, and Congress general secretary of organisation, K.C. Venugopal," he said.

“After the third consecutive defeat in Haryana assembly elections 2024, the opposition in the state had come to a naught. People were in shock after the election results and had started saying that neither could the Congress form the government, nor was there any opposition left. That sentiment served as a trigger and despite no political emergency, we went ahead with Sadbhav Yatra,” he added.

An ex-bureaucrat, who had secured the 9th rank in the 1998 civil services examination and voluntarily quit the IAS after 21 years of service to join politics, said that the concept of Sadbhav Yatra was based on ‘36 Biradari’, a cultural idiom in Haryana which calls for brotherhood among all caste groups.

But expressing concern over rise in incidents of communal disharmony, Brijendra said that ever since the BJP came to power in Haryana in 2016, the brotherhood among the '36 Biradari’ has been under attack.

“The BJP wants to create a perpetual rift in the society through their politics of hatred and polarisation. And societal rifts never get healed. Whether it is communal violence in Mewat belt of Haryana, the Nuh communal riots 2023 or the 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots, BJP has been provoking people to react to their communal agenda...Our yatra is an attempt to bring the communities together," he emphasised.

“Even in the case of IPS officer Y. Puran Singh’s suicide, BJP government’s reaction was against the Dalit community. They pit communities against each other and provoke communal tensions," he added.

He said that after the 2024 Haryana elections, people had started looking forward to something new. “There was a growing sense among people that the old will not suit them now," he said.

When asked why Bhupinder Singh Hooda, who was recently appointed the leader of the opposition in the assembly, and his team had not joined the yatra, Brijendra asserted that the problem is with the leaders, not the workers. “On the eve of Sadbhav Yatra, many Congress leaders came. It would have been better had the PCC president, CLP leader, and Haryana congress in-charge had joined the yatra. I had suggested they come together but they did not. But I am sure things will fall into place,” he said.

On his recent meeting with Rahul Gandhi in Delhi on November 29, Brijendra said, “Rahul Gandhi wanted an update on Sadbhav Yatra and appreciated it. He will be joining the yatra soon.”

Brijendra had joined the BJP but came back to Congress ahead of the Lok Sabha elections 2024. 

He said that he had started feeling like a “misfit” in the saffron party following the reading down of article 370, the farmers’ protest, the anti-Agniveer scheme protest, and the wrestlers’ protest. “Everything is opaque in the BJP. You never come to know what is happening within the party, unless you have access to the core group of the BJP top brass,” he said.

Speaking to The Wire, Rohtak based advocate and a prominent Jat and farmer leader Ashok Balhara said that Brijendra Singh was carrying forward the legacy of pre-Partition Punjab founded by his grandfather, noted agrarian reformer and politician Sir Chhotu Ram.

“The idea of ‘Sadbhav’ came out of united Punjab, when political and social dynamics were under attack. It was Sir Chhotu Ram, who started mobilising people on this idea. This is the third generation of Chhotu Ram, who is taking this legacy ahead and talking about '36 Biradari’, which defines brotherhood among all castes despite certain social differences,” he said.

Balhara said that at this juncture, Brijendra Singh has nothing to lose. "Rather by holding Sadbhav Yatra, he is gaining people’s trust and support. Whether the gathering is of 20 or 200 people, Brijendra addresses them with the same approach,” he said.

Haryana Congress's Brijendra Singh during the Sadbhav Yatra in Haryana. Photo: By arrangement.

Party reunification drive versus factionalism

Balhara argued that there might be rivalry and groupism within the Congress but people are viewing Brijendra’s yatra from a social viewpoint and not from a political perspective.

“Hooda and his confidants might be staying away from the Sadbhav Yatra but they know that it will not be easy for them to counter his rise, especially when the Congress has suffered three consecutive defeats under Hooda's command in Haryana,” he said.

Rohtak based independent journalist Sat Singh said that Brijendra not only has Chhotu Ram's legacy to uphold but also that of his father, former union leader Birender Singh – who is as old as Bhupinder Singh Hooda in Haryana politics. Despite having four decades in politics, Birender Singh, was never the chief minister of Haryana in what is frequently cited as a story of particular tragedy.

Shedding light on the past, the senior journalist Singh said that Birender Singh had had very good ties with the late Rajiv Gandhi. “Had he been alive today, Birender Singh would have been the chief minister of Haryana," he said.

Both Birender and Brijendra returned to Congress after nine years in BJP.

Singh said that in the wake of all these factors Brijendra's ‘Sadbhav Yatra’ assumes more significance. “The yatra was not only an attempt to bridge this gap but also an initiative to improve his image as a mass leader. In this yatra lies the political aspirations of Birender Singh, who wants his son to become the chief minister of Haryana,” he said.

“In the appointment of Bhupinder Singh Hooda as the Congress Legislative Party leader and Brijendra’s Sadbhav Yatra, the Congress high command is doing a balancing act. The party high command is eyeing future leadership, hence Brijendra’s Sadbhav Yatra. Further, if Rahul Gandhi joins the yatra, it will be a huge fillip for Brijendra," he added.

It is also interesting that Brijendra's father Birender Singh had opposed Hooda's appointment as CLP leader. He was not alone, Sirsa MP Kumari Selja and ex-minister Captain Ajay Singh too were opposed to Hooda’s continued presence as the chief in the state. 

Many believe that the Congress high command was attempting to bring some balance in the state unit after the surprise loss that the party suffered under Hooda last year, and giving a push to new and credible faces in the party. These developments hold the key to the long term future of the Haryana Congress.

'No factionalism'

Haryana Congress president, Rao Narender Singh, meanwhile, said that if the party high command issues an official direction, "We will attend Sadbhav Yatra." He denied reports of any factionalism or rivalry within the party and said that the Yatra was a personal initiative of Brijendra's. Rao Narender claimed that the state unit was a united front.

He said that those who have the time to attend it should go. “In fact, people have been joining the Yatra at different locations."

On Brijendra's statement that the Sadbhav Yatra was being carried out with the approval of Rahul Gandhi, the party president said that he met Brijendra as well and then said, “Brijendra Singh might have spoken to Rahul Gandhi about Sadbhav Yatra but it is his personal initiative. This is his own agenda. If Rahul Gandhi issues an order to attend the Sadbhav Yatra tomorrow, we will go and attend it."

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