Selja Kumari (born 24 September 1962) is an Indian politician and a Member of the Lok Sabha, the lower house of Indian parliament. She is a member of the Indian National Congress and has served as the Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Social Justice and Empowerment and Tourism during Manmohan Singh's premiership.

Selja Kumari
Selja Kumari delivering remarks into a microphone against a dark background
Selja Kumari
Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha
Assumed office
4 June 2024
Preceded bySunita Duggal
ConstituencySirsa
In office
17 May 2004 – 16 May 2014
Preceded byRattan Lal Kataria
Succeeded byRattan Lal Kataria
ConstituencyAmbala
In office
13 March 1991 – 1998
Preceded byHet Ram
Succeeded bySushil kumar Indora
ConstituencySirsa
President of Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee
In office
4 September 2019 – 27 April 2022
Preceded byAshok Tanwar
Succeeded byUdai Bhan
Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment
In office
28 October 2012 – 28 January 2014
Prime MinisterManmohan Singh
Preceded byMukul Wasnik
Succeeded byMallikarjun Kharge
Minister of Tourism
In office
28 May 2009 – 19 January 2011
Prime MinisterManmohan Singh
Preceded byAmbika Soni
Succeeded bySubodh Kant Sahay
Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha
In office
10 April 2014 – 2 April 2020
Preceded byRam Prakash
Succeeded byDeepender Singh Hooda
ConstituencyHaryana
General Secretary of the AICC incharge of Uttarakhand Pradesh Congress Committee
Assumed office
24 December 2023
Preceded byDevender Yadav
Personal details
Born (1962-09-24) 24 September 1962 (age 62)
Parbhuwala, Punjab, India
(now in Haryana, India)
Political partyIndian National Congress
Residence(s)Hisar, Haryana
EducationM.A., M.Phil.
ProfessionAgriculturist & Social Worker
Source: [1]

Selja was first elected to the Lok Sabha in 1991 from Sirsa, a constituency that she retained in the 1996 elections. Following her election in 2009 to the Lok Sabha from Ambala, she was appointed the Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment. 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. In the 2024 Indian general election, she was elected to the Lok Sabha again from the Sirsa constituency.[1]

Early life & education

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Selja Kumari was born in a Jatav family 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 her master's which is a postgraduate degree.[2]

Political career

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Early career and electoral debut (1990–2003)

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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.[2]

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.[2]

Role under UPA governments (2004–2013)

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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.[2]

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.[3]

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".[4]

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.[2][5]

Move to Rajya Sabha and beyond (2014–present)

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Selja was elected to the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Parliament of India, from her home state of Haryana in 2014.[6] She unsuccessfully contested the 2019 Indian general elections from Ambala, losing out to Bhartiya Janata Party's Rattan Lal Kataria.[7] 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.[8]

In the 2024 General Elections, Kumari Selja has been nominated by Indian National Congress to contest Lok Sabha election from Sirsa - SC parliamentary constituency.

Positions Held

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Positions Held
Period Position
14 Aug. 2024 onwards Member of the Committee on Estimates
June 2024 Elected to 18th Lok Sabha
01-Dec-2022 - 2023 General Secretary, AICC. Incharge
06-Oct-2022 onwards Member, Congress Steering Committee
01-Jun-2022 onwards Member, Congress Working Committee
12-Sep-2019 - 2022 President, Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee
10-Sep-2014 - 2020 Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture
10-Apr-2014 - 2020 Elected Member
31 Jan. 2014 Ceased to be a member of the Lok Sabha upon election as Member of Rajya Sabha
28-Oct-2012 - 28-Jan-2014 Union Cabinet Minister, Social Justice and Empowerment
31-May-2009 - 18-Jan-2011 Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation and Ministry of Tourism
2009 Re-elected to 15th Lok Sabha (4th term)
2007-2009 Elected President of 21st Governing Council of UN Habitat for a two year term
2005 Elected Member of the Governing Board of Commonwealth Local Government Forum
June 2006 Union Minister of State (Independent Charge), Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation
2004 Re-elected to 14th Lok Sabha (3rd term)
1996-2004 Secretary and Spokesperson, All India Congress Committee
1996 Re-elected to 11th Lok Sabha (2nd term)
Sept. 1995-May 1996 Union Minister of State, Department of Education and Culture, Ministry of Human Resource Development
July 1992-Sept. 1995 Union Deputy Minister, Dept. of Education & Culture, Ministry of Human Resource Development
1991 Elected to 10th Lok Sabha
1990 Joint Secretary, All India Mahila Congress

References

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  1. ^ The Economic Times (6 June 2024). "Bullish Wins & Bearish Losses: Here are the key contests and results of 2024 Lok Sabha polls". Archived from the original on 27 July 2024. Retrieved 27 July 2024.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Detailed profile: Kumari Selja". Government of India. Retrieved 12 October 2019.
  3. ^ "Annual Report 2010-11" (PDF). Ministry of External Affairs. Retrieved 12 October 2019.
  4. ^ "HC notice to Kumari Selja for 'threatening' Mirchpur accused". The Indian Express. 11 March 2011. Retrieved 22 April 2012.
  5. ^ "Meet the Ministers - Cabinet Minister". Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. Retrieved 12 October 2019.
  6. ^ 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.
  7. ^ "Live Ambala Lok Sabha Results". NDTV. Retrieved 12 October 2019.
  8. ^ Kumar, Vikrant Singh (4 September 2019). "Congress appoints Kumari Selja as new state party president of Haryana". India Today. Retrieved 12 October 2019.
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Lok Sabha
Preceded by
Het Ram
Member of Parliament
for Sirsa

1991 – 1998
Succeeded by
Sushil Kumar Indora
Preceded by Member of Parliament
for Ambala

2004 – 2014
Succeeded by
Rajya Sabha
Preceded by Member of Parliament
for Rajya Sabha Haryana

2014 - present
Incumbent
Political offices
Preceded by Union Minister of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation
22 May 2009 – 26 May 2014
Succeeded by
Preceded by Union Minister of Tourism
28 May 2009 – 19 January 2011
Succeeded by
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