Chandigarh, June 20, 2025 — A fresh political storm is brewing in Haryana after senior Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP Randeep Singh Surjewala launched a scathing attack on the Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government, accusing it of betraying unemployed youth by retracting thousands of job advertisements that were made just ahead of the 2024 assembly polls.
Taking to social media platform X (formerly Twitter) on Thursday, Surjewala alleged that the Haryana Staff Selection Commission (HSSC) had recently withdrawn advertisements for a total of 8,653 Group C posts, including a substantial number of police vacancies.
“HSSC withdrew a total of 8,653 Group C jobs including 5,600 in police. On August 14, 2024, barely three hours before announcing the assembly election, Shri Nayab Saini announced these jobs, painted big dreams, and even declared that he would not take oath as CM until these jobs were filled. Now, Nayab Saini ji laughs, cracks jokes, enjoys helicopter rides, while the youth go door to door for their future,” Surjewala wrote.
Providing a breakdown, Surjewala claimed the withdrawn posts included 5,666 vacancies for Haryana Police, 1,838 stenographer posts, 535 draftsman or assistant draftsman positions, 319 auto diesel mechanic roles, and 180 fitter or press mechanic jobs, among others.
The Congress leader further alleged that the ruling BJP had made massive job promises through the Haryana Kaushal Rozgar Nigam (HKRN), an initiative intended to provide contractual employment. “Just before the 2024 elections, 50,000 jobs were promised through HKRN to woo voters. Now, post elections, 4,000 HKRN appointees have been terminated and uncertainty looms over the rest,” he charged.
BJP Refutes Allegations, Cites Record on Merit-Based Hiring
Responding swiftly to the allegations, Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini’s media secretary Praveen Attrey dismissed the charges as baseless and politically motivated. He accused the Congress party of having institutionalised backdoor recruitments and corruption in employment during its tenure.
“Congress leaders arbitrarily distributed jobs when they were in power and openly talked about selling government jobs during the election campaign. Now they appear nervous because the BJP government has delivered approximately 1.75 lakh jobs strictly on merit,” Attrey said while speaking to The Hindu.
He highlighted that CM Saini, who succeeded former Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar in March 2024, has focused on transparent recruitment through the Common Entrance Test (CET) system, which was introduced to curb irregularities and ensure fairness in Group C and D government hiring.
“Before taking the oath of office, the Chief Minister distributed appointment letters to 24,000 youth. More appointments are in the pipeline and will be made through CET soon. The government is committed to honouring its employment promises,” Attrey added.
A Familiar Battle Over Jobs and Youth Votes
Jobs and youth welfare have traditionally been a key electoral plank in Haryana politics, a state with one of the highest unemployment rates among major Indian states. According to the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE), Haryana’s unemployment rate fluctuates around 25–30%, far higher than the national average.
Analysts say that promises of large-scale recruitments play a decisive role in swaying young voters in a state where government jobs are still viewed as a primary ladder for economic mobility and social security.
Political observers note that both BJP and Congress have engaged in competitive populism over employment, but frequent delays, legal hurdles, and alleged irregularities often leave thousands of aspirants in limbo.
In this context, Surjewala’s accusations are seen as an attempt to capitalise on youth discontent and regain political ground, especially with local body polls and the next Lok Sabha election on the horizon.
Opposition Calls for Transparency
Meanwhile, the opposition has demanded the immediate reinstatement of the withdrawn posts and more clarity on the status of HKRN contract workers. “If the government can make helicopter rides and lavish PR events for the CM, why can’t it deliver on basic promises to our educated youth?” asked a state Congress spokesperson at a press briefing in Chandigarh.
Student and youth organisations are also planning demonstrations to demand accountability for the abrupt job cancellations.
What Lies Ahead
As the political slugfest intensifies, all eyes are on the Saini government’s next steps regarding the Common Entrance Test recruitments and whether it can address the growing frustration among Haryana’s unemployed youth before it snowballs into street protests or becomes a major electoral liability.
For now, the issue has reignited an old fault line in Haryana’s political discourse — one where every promise of a government job remains a powerful but volatile promise, carrying the weight of thousands of young aspirations and the credibility of those in power.