Haryana BJP govt faces firestorm as it scraps hiring of 8,600 jobs, Cong cries ‘voter betrayal'
Unemployment has continued to be a key issue in Haryana politics. In August 2024, two months before the Haryana Assembly polls, the BJP-led government announced direct recruitment for 5,666 posts in police force, one of the most sought-after government jobs in the state. At the same time, 3,053 Group C posts were also advertised, even as the recruitment process for 25,000 contractual posts across departments was also started.
In October 2024, the BJP created history in Haryana by winning 48 of the 90 Assembly seats and forming the government for the third consecutive time. Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, fulfilling a pre-poll promise, took oath after the 25,000 selected candidates for contractual posts were issued appointment letters.
Last week, however, about 10 months after the BJP's return to power, the Saini government cancelled the recruitment for 5,666 regular posts in the police and 3,053 Group C posts. While the government has defended this move, saying that the cancellations were done for 'bringing in more transparency and ensuring systematic recruitment', the Opposition is now up in arms against the BJP, accusing it of 'misleading and cheating the youth in the name of votes'.
The Haryana Staff Selection Commission (HSSC), which oversees recruitments in the state, cancelled it for both the police and Group C posts. The HSSC says all these posts will be announced after the Common Eligibility Test (CET), which is expected to be held in July. The candidates who successfully clear this test and figure in the merit list are considered eligible for Group C and Group D posts in government departments.
The Saini government's flip-flop on the recruitment issue has given ammunition to the Opposition parties to attack the BJP, with the principal Opposition Congress calling it a 'betrayal of voters'.
Senior Congress leader and ex-CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda said, 'It was as such a poll gimmick played by the BJP before October 2024 Assembly elections. A few days before the Election Commission issued the notification, the BJP announced these government jobs to get more votes. They got it and won. Since then, they did not fill these posts and have now cancelled the same. The youth of Haryana have understood the BJP's strategies and will give them a befitting reply.'
Hooda also alleged that 'Not even a single promise that the BJP made in its manifesto has been fulfilled so far. What's happening in Hisar? Youth are being lathi-charged for raising the legitimate demand not to slash their scholarships. It is a completely non-performing government.' He was referring to an agitation by the students of Chaudhary Charan Singh Agricultural University in Hisar on June 10.
The All India Congress Committee (AICC)'s general secretary and MP Randeep Surjewala said, 'There's a saying that all the people cannot be fooled all the time. But, it seems that Nayab Singh Saini had made this saying seem untrue. Over 8,500 posts that were advertised before the October 2024 Assembly polls have now been cancelled. The Saini government is misleading the youth.'
Referring to the Punjab and Haryana High Court's decision to quash a 2019 state government notification that gave 10 additional marks on the basis of socio-economic criteria for Group B and C posts, Surjewala said, 'Over 13.5 lakh youth have enrolled for the CET. In the last five years, only one CET exam was conducted. The Punjab and Haryana High Court quashed the result for that examination due to discrepancies. They fooled the youth that the socio-economic criteria's additional marks shall be given… The CM now says he will challenge it in a higher court.'
He also said, 'About 50,000 contractual employees were recruited before 2024 Assembly polls through the Haryana Kaushal Rozgar Nigam. Of these, now 4,000 have been thrown out. The fate of the remaining is also uncertain.'
Surjewala added, 'Why is the government cancelling these recruitments? If the government was not serious in making these recruitments, why did they announce it in the first place? These BJP ministers and MLAs need to be asked these questions. Otherwise, the BJP will again advertise posts ahead of the next elections and then cancel it after the polls.'
HSSC chairman Himmat Singh, however, in an X post, said that the date for the CET shall be announced soon and applicants should continue their preparations for it. He added that with 13.48 lakh youth enrolled for the CET, all the recruitments for Group C and D posts will now be held after the CET's results.
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