20 Facts About Selja Kumari

Selja Kumari was born on 24 September 1962 and is an Indian politician and a member of the Lok Sabha, the lower house of Indian parliament.

Selja Kumari is a member of the Indian National Congress and has served as the union minister of state for social justice and empowerment and tourism during Manmohan Singh's premiership.

Selja Kumari 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.

Selja Kumari was a member of the Rajya Sabha from 2014 to 2020.

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.

Selja Kumari 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.

Selja Kumari began her political career in the Mahila Congress becoming its president in 1990.

Selja Kumari was elected to the 10th Lok Sabha in 1991 from Sirsa in Haryana.

Selja Kumari was Union Minister of State for Education and Culture in the Narasimha Rao-led Congress government.

Selja Kumari began actively participating in international conferences and summits following her election to the 14th Lok Sabha in 2004.

Selja Kumari was elected as a member of the governing board of Commonwealth Local Government Forum in 2005.

Selja Kumari continued to engage with other such organisations as the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association and headed the Commonwealth Consultative Group on Human Settlements.

Selja Kumari took the oath as the Union Minister of State for Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation in the Manmohan Singh-led government that following the 2004 electoral victory.

Selja Kumari visited such countries as Italy and Cyprus aimed at improving international relations during her time in office.

In March 2011, Selja Kumari 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 Kumari, 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".

Selja Kumari later took oath as Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment in 2012.

Selja Kumari 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.

Selja Kumari was elected to the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Parliament of India, from her home state of Haryana in 2014.

Selja Kumari unsuccessfully contested the 2019 Indian general elections from Ambala, losing out to Bhartiya Janata Party's Rattan Lal Kataria.