Stir in Haryana politics; Congress MLAs change meeting venue.

Just two days after skipping Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini’s District Grievance Redressal Committee meeting, Congress MLAs from Sirsa attended the DISHA (District Development Coordination and Monitoring Committee) meeting chaired by MP Kumari Selja on Saturday. However, the two INLD MLAs did not attend the meeting.

This selective attendance has sparked political debate in Sirsa. Many are questioning whether inter-party rivalry has become more important than the public interest. Locals argue that issues concerning the public should be raised on every available platform, regardless of which leader is presiding over the meeting.

At Saturday’s meeting, Kumari Selja reviewed development works and questioned officials rigorously regarding civic issues. These issues included poor sanitation, drinking water shortages, overflowing sewers, dilapidated roads, stray cattle, street lighting, power infrastructure, and delays in highway and railway projects.

Displaying photographs of civic issues from across the district, Selja told officials that development must be visible on the ground, not just in government files.

She expressed displeasure over a pending matter in Anandgarh village, where an electricity transformer and pole had not been removed from a woman’s plot despite repeated requests. She told officials that if there was a funding issue, she was willing to contribute personally to resolve the matter. The MP also directed officials to ensure water supply via tankers in areas facing shortages—such as Bansal Colony, MITC Colony, and several villages—until permanent arrangements could be made. She reviewed the progress of work on National Highway-9 and criticized the delays in railway underbridge and foot-overbridge projects.

The meeting was attended by Sirsa MLA Gokul Setia, Kalanwali MLA Shishpal Keharwala, and Amit Beniwal (son of Ellenabad MLA Bharat Beniwal), along with senior district officials and Congress leaders. The absence of INLD MLAs Aditya Chautala (Dabwali) and Arjun Chautala (Rania) follows, by just a few days, the decision by Congress MLAs to skip the Chief Minister’s grievance redressal committee meeting. Sirsa has three Congress MLAs and two INLD MLAs. Against this backdrop, residents express concern that the battle for political supremacy is overshadowing the need to collaboratively address the district’s issues.