Selja Kumari

Selja Kumari (born 24 September 1962) is an Indian politician and former parliamentarian. A member of the Indian National Congress, she has been the Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment and Tourism in the Government of India during Manmohan Singh's premiership.

Selja Kumari
Selja in 2006
Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment
In office 28 October 2012 – 28 January 2014
Preceded by	Meira Kumar
Succeeded by	Thawar Chand Gehlot
Minister of Tourism
In office 28 May 2009 – 19 January 2011
Preceded by	Ambika Soni
Succeeded by	Subodh Kant Sahay
MP of Rajya Sabha for Haryana
In office 10 April 2014 – 2 April 2020
Preceded by	Ram Prakash, INC
Succeeded by	Deepender Singh Hooda, INC
Constituency	Haryana
MP of Lok Sabha for Haryana
In office 17 May 2004 – 16 May 2014
Preceded by	Rattan Lal Kataria, BJP
Succeeded by	Rattan Lal Kataria, BJP
Constituency	Ambala
In office 13 March 1991 – 1998
Preceded by	Het Ram, Lok Dal
Succeeded by	Sushil kumar Indora INLD
Constituency	Sirsa
Personal details
Born	24 September 1962 Parbhuwala, Punjab, India (now in Haryana, India)
Political party	Indian National Congress
Residence	Hissar, Haryana

Selja was first elected to the Lok Sabha in 1991 from Sirsa, a constituency that she retained in the 1996 elections. Following her election to the 15th Lok Sabha from Ambala, she was appointed the Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment. It was during this period that Selja worked to furthering the cause of women's rights as well as the rights of marginalised communities in India.

Selja unsuccessfully contested the general elections in 2019 from Ambala, and following that made a return to state politics, being elected the president of the Haryana unit of the Congress party later that year. She was a member of the Rajya Sabha from 2014 to 2020.

Early life

Selja Kumari was born on 24 September 1962 in Parbhuwala Hisar to Chaudhary Dalbir Singh, who was a politician from the Indian National Congress. She studied at the Convent of Jesus and Mary, New Delhi and later attended the Panjab University, where she completed masters and an advanced postgraduate degree.[1]

Political career

Early career and electoral debut (1990–2003)

Selja began her political career in the Mahila Congress becoming its President in 1990. She was elected to the 10th Lok Sabha in 1991 from Sirsa in Haryana. She was Union Minister of State for Education and Culture in the Narasimha Rao-led Congress government. Despite the Congress debacle in Haryana in 1996, she was re-elected to the 11th Lok Sabha.[1]

Selja began actively participating in international conferences and summits following her election to the 14th Lok Sabha in 2004. She was elected as a member of the Governing Board of Commonwealth Local Government Forum in 2005. She continued to engage with other such organisations as the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association and also headed the Commonwealth Consultative Group on Human Settlements.[1]

Role under UPA governments (2004–2013)

Selja in her office after taking over the charge as the Union Minister of Urban Employment & Poverty Alleviation in May 2004.

Selja also took the oath as the Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation in the Manmohan Singh-led government that following the 2004 electoral victory.[1]

Following her election to the 15th Lok Sabha from Ambala, Selja was appointed the Minister of Tourism in Manmohan Singh's second cabinet. She visited such countries as Italy and Cyprus aimed at improving international relations during her time in office.[2]

In March 2011, Selja was issued notices by the Punjab and Haryana High Court over a petition that has accused her of "forgery, criminal intimidation, fabrication and hatching a criminal conspiracy". The petitioner, advocate B S Chahar, has alleged that Selja, who was "instrumental in instigating leaders and members of the Balmiki community against Jat leaders in Mirchpur case", tried to save herself from a litigation by pressurising the undertrials and forcing them to sign "blank and non judicial papers".[3]

Selja later took oath as Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment in 2012. She remained in office for five years until the completion of her term in May 2014, a period during which she worked on issues relating to empowerment of women and rights of marginalised communities.[1][4]

Move to Rajya Sabha and beyond (2014–present)

Selja was elected to the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Parliament of India, from her home state of Haryana in 2014.[5] She unsuccessfully contested the 2019 Indian general elections from Ambala, losing out to Bhartiya Janata Party's Rattan Lal Kataria.[6] Following that, she expressed a renewed interest in the politics of the state and was appointed the president of the Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee in September, 2019, just ahead of the assembly elections scheduled for October.[7]

References

1. "Detailed profile: Kumari Selja". Government of India. Retrieved 12 October 2019.
2. "Annual Report 2010-11" (PDF). Ministry of External Affairs. Retrieved 12 October 2019.
3. "HC notice to Kumari Selja for 'threatening' Mirchpur accused". The Indian Express. 11 March 2011. Retrieved 22 April 2012.
4. "Meet the Ministers - Cabinet Minister". Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. Retrieved 12 October 2019.
5. Pushpan, Shikha (18 May 2014). "Kumari Selja may lead Haryana Congress after party's rout in Lok Sabha polls: sources". News18. Retrieved 12 October 2019.
6. "Live Ambala Lok Sabha Results". NDTV. Retrieved 12 October 2019.
7. Kumar, Vikrant Singh (4 September 2019). "Congress appoints Kumari Selja as new state party president of Haryana". India Today. Retrieved 12 October 2019.

External links

• Official biographical sketch in Parliament of India website