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Selja Kumari Wiki, Age, Caste, Husband, Family, Biography & More

April 8, 20240

 

Selja Kumari is an Indian politician. She belongs to the Congress party and has been a Union Minister in Manmohan Singh‘s cabinet.

Wiki/Biography

Selja Kumari was born on Monday, 24 September 1962 (age 57 years; as in 2019) in Chandigarh. Her zodiac sign is Libra. She did her schooling from the Convent of Jesus and Mary, Delhi. She moved back to Chandigarh to pursue M.A. and MPhil from the Panjab University.

Selja Kumari in her younger days

She was born in Chandigarh and raised in New Delhi. Her father was a Member of Parliament; due to which they had moved to New Delhi. Her father passed away in 1987. Thereafter, she decided to join politics like her father.

Physical Appearance

Height (approx.): 5′ 4″

Eye Colour: Dark Brown

Hair Colour: Black

Family, Caste, and Husband

Selja Kumari belongs to the Ravidasia Community. Her father, Chaudhary Dalbir Singh, was an Indian politician from the Congress Party and was elected to the 4th, 5th, 6th, and the 7th Lok Sabha from Haryana’s Sirsa Assembly Constituency. Her mother, Kalawati Bhankhor, was a homemaker.

  • Marital Status: Unmarried

Selja Kumari’s father Chaudhary Dalbir Singh

Career

In 1990, Selja Kumari joined the Indian National Congress (INC). In the same year, she was appointed as the Joint-Secretary of the Mahila Congress. In 1991, she was elected as an MP from the Sirsa Lok Sabha Constituency of Haryana. She was appointed as the Union Deputy Minister of Education & Culture and the Ministry of Human Resources Development, by the P. V. Narasimha Rao Government from July 1992 to September 1995. In September 1995, she was promoted as the Union Minister of State (MoS) for the Department of Education & Culture and the Ministry of Human Resources Development.

In 1996, she got re-elected as an MP from Sirsa and was appointed as the Secretary and Spokesperson of the All India Congress Committee (AICC) from 1996 to 2004. In 2004, she contested the General Elections from the Ambala Cannt Lok Sabha Constituency of Haryana and won. Lok Sabha Constituency. She was appointed as the Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for the Ministry of Housing and Urban Property Alleviation by the Manmohan Singh Government. In 2007, she was appointed as the President of the 21st Governing Council of the UN-Habitat for 2 years.

Selja Kumari addressing a press conference

In 2009, she was re-elected to the 15th Lok Sabha from Ambala Cantt. On 31 May 2009, she was appointed as the Minister of Housing & Urban Property Alleviation and Tourism. On 19 January 2011, she was given the Additional Charge of the Ministry of Culture. On 28 October 2012, after a cabinet re-shuffle, she was appointed as the Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment. In April 2014, she was elected to the Rajya Sabha from Haryana. In 2014, she contested the General Elections, but she lost to BJP’s Rattan Lal Kataria. On 4 September 2019, Selja was appointed as the President of the Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) by Sonia Gandhi.

Controversies

  • On 11 March 2011, Selja was issued notices by the High Courts of Punjab and Haryana. She was accused of forgery, fabrication, criminal intimidation, and criminal conspiracy. The notice stated that she had instigated members of the Balmiki Community against Jat leaders in the Mirchpur case. The notice also blamed her of intimidating and pressurising undertrials and forcing them to sign blank and non-judicial papers to save herself from litigation.
  • On 6 October 2013, Selja inaugurated the “Kalka-Sainagar Shirdi Superfast Express” and was travelling in it from Kalka to Chandigarh. As the train passed the Manakpur village, a brick was thrown in through the window by an unknown assailant. The brick hit Selja on her arm and she got injured. The next day, when asked about the incident, she replied-

    I have never faced such circumstances ever in my political career, and the people of the Haryana Congress are not only working against me but also trying to intimidate me.”

Car Collection

Selja Kumari owns a Honda City (2019 Model)

Assets/Properties

  • Bank Deposits: 4.79 crores INR
  • Jewellery: 21.22 lacs INR
  • Agricultural Land: worth 2.74 crores INR in Hisar, Haryana
  • Agricultural Land: worth 3.84 crores INR in Sonipat, Haryana
  • Non-Agricultural Land: worth 1.41 crores INR in Gurugram, Haryana
  • Non-Agricultural Land: worth 1.34 crores INR in Silokhera, Haryana
  • Non-Agricultural Land: worth 4.78 lacs INR in Faridabad, Haryana
  • Non-Agricultural Land: worth 73.20 lacs INR in Hisar, Haryana
  • Non-Agricultural Land: worth 5.12 crores INR in Faridabad, Haryana
  • Non-Agricultural Land: worth 10.46 lacs INR in Faridabad, Haryana
  • Residential Building: worth 53.72 lacs INR in Hisar, Haryana
  • Residential Building: worth 1.54 crores INR in Hisar, Haryana

Salary & Net Worth

  • Salary: 1 lac INR + other allowances (as a member of the Rajya Sabha)
  • Net Worth: 20.05 crores INR (as in 2019)

Facts/Trivia

  • Selja is one of the leaders who are close to Sonia Gandhi. In August 2013, when Sonia Gandhi had to be rushed to the hospital during a parliamentary session, she only asked Selja to accompany her to the hospital.

    Selja Kumari accompanying Sonia Gandhi to the hospital

  • On 4 September 2019, Selja was appointed as the President of the Haryana PCC by Sonia Gandhi.

    Selja Kumari after being appointed as the President of the Haryana PCC

  • On 12 October 2019, less than a month after taking charge of the Haryana Congress, she expelled 16 members of the Haryana Congress. In a statement, she stated-

    16 people have been expelled from the Congress for violating provisions of the party constitution and contesting the 2019 Vidhan Sabha elections as rebels.”