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MP’s report card Raj Kumar Saini, BJP, Kurukshetra: Rebel for caste cause with eye on state
Like many of his BJP colleagues, Saini too rode the 2014 Narendra Modi wave to defeat two-time Congress MP Naveen Jindal by 1.3 lakh votes and win Kurukshetra.
Debutant Lok Sabha member Rajkumar Saini, 65, climbed the political ladder step by step. From being sarpanch of an Ambala village three decades ago to a lawmaker in Parliament to floating a political party for the cause of backward classes, Saini tried to carve an identity for himself in Haryana.
Like many of his BJP colleagues, Saini too rode the 2014 Narendra Modi wave to defeat two-time Congress MP Naveen Jindal by 1.3 lakh votes and win Kurukshetra.
His ties with the BJP, however, became strained after the Jat quota agitation turned violent in 2016. He was quick to score a political point by espousing the cause of backward classes (BCs) for which he floated the Loktantra Suraksha Manch. The Manch was later converted into a political party and called the Loktantra Suraksha Party (LSP). Saini’s rhetoric comprised a vitriolic attack on Jats and the BJP’s kneel-down policy on the issue of the quota issue. He soon turned a BJP rebel.
CASTE WARRIOR
The first-time MP comes from a humble background. He rose through the ranks from being a sarpanch to a block samiti member and a zila parishad member. He was elected as an MLA in 1996 and remained a minister in the state government. Saini got elected as the Haryana Vikas Party (HVP) MLA but switched sides to join the Indian National Lok Dal. After he won the Kurukshetra Lok Sabha seat in 2014, the BJP also did well in the assembly elections by winning five constituencies falling in Kurukshetra parliamentary constituency.
A party hopper, who spoke against the demand for reservation in jobs for Jats, the MP did not mince words in criticising his own party. Though the BJP did not expel him for anti-party activities, Saini knew that he would get overlooked for the 2019 elections. He created political space for himself by converting the manch into a political party and soon enough entered into a poll alliance with the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP). His supporters say that the collective votebank of Dalits and backward classes apart, Saini draws his strength from the work done by him.
DIFFERENCES IN OPEN
Saini drew flak from several quarters, including BJP leaders of the constituency. The BJP leaders alleged that he was obsessed with his own political ambitions and paid no attention towards the development of the constituency.
His rivals quote the instance of Sanghan village adopted by him where he failed to get even a single development work done.
Villagers in his constituency minced no words to say that Saini remained busy merely making speeches and tall promises but did not accomplish anything tangible.
Others, however, say the MP tried hard but his sore ties with BJP got in the way.
BJP leaders categorically held that Saini did not accomplish anything in several areas of the constituency mainly in villages of Kaithal, Radaur (Yamunanagar), Guhla, Kalayat and Thanesar assembly segments. They too distanced themselves from Saini ever since his anti-Jat outbursts. “The inertia was on both sides. Neither was Saini approached by representatives of these villages nor did he try reaching out to them,” says a senior BJP functionary who did not wish to be identified.
SILENT WORKER
However, there are many in his constituency who say that Saini did not seek credit. “He got works done without installing any ceremonial foundation stone bearing his name,” says Shahbad block samiti member Kulbir Singh. He says in villages such as Kathwa, Bibipur, Dakhkam Mughalmajra and Tangor, Saini got streets, Balmiki dharamshalas, boundary walls of ponds or cremation grounds built.
In the urban areas of the constituency, residents say Saini was instrumental in getting a train started on the Jind-Kurukshetra-Narwana route. He got a Kendriya Vidyalaya started, a passport office opened, an underpass in Batta built and solar panels and community centres constructed besides getting the ayurvedic college upgraded to a university in Kurukshetra.
In Parliament, Saini participated in debates on the need to conserve Brahma Sarovar in Kurukshetra; the exclusion of creamy layer within OBCs; the demand to open a hospital such as AIIMS in Kaithal and Kurukshetra; and the need to construct an embankment along the Yamuna. He asked questions pertaining to his constituency on the Yamuna river and more trains.
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CONSTITUENCY PRIMER
Kurukshetra Lok Sabha constituency covers the entire Kurukshetra and Kaithal districts besides parts of Yamunanagar. The assembly segments falling in it are: Radaur (Yamunanagar), Ladwa, Shahbad (SC), Thanesar, Pehowa (Kurukshetra) and Guhla (SC), Kalayat, Kaithal and Pundri (Kaithal). Kurukshetra derives its name from the first verse of the Bhagvad Gita, in the form of Dharmakshetra Kurukshetra. Kurukshetra is a place of historical and religious import due to its association with Vedas and Vedic culture.
2014: Raj Kumar Saini (BJP) defeated Balbir Saini (INLD) by 1.3 lakh votes, pushing Naveen Jindal (Congress) to third place
2009: Naveen Jindal (Congress) beat Ashok Arora (INLD) by 1.2 lakh votes
2004: Naveen Jindal (Congress) defeated Abhay Chautala (INLD) by 1.6 lakh votes
KNOW YOUR MP
(Data from June 1, 2014 to February 13, 2019)
Age: 66
Party: BJP
Educational Qualification: Graduate
Electoral Record: Since the 1990s, he became Choti Rasor sarpanch, Naraingarh block samiti member, zila parishad member, Naraingarh MLA and Kurukshetra MP.
HIGH POINT: Spent 100% of his MPLAD fund and got several works done in his constituency
LOW POINT: Three Jat youngsters threw black ink on his face for his repetitive anti-Jat rants. They were arrested.
HOUSE RECORD: Participated in several debates and asked questions; the debates included the need to conserve Brahma Sarovar, take appropriate steps for inclusion of the sarovar in the list of Unesco world heritage sites, reservation to children belonging to OBCs in admission to Kendriya Vidyalayas, need to construct embankment along the Yamuna river course to prevent flooding.
A member of the standing committee on industry and the advisory committee of the ministry of steel and mining
PERFORMANCE IN LOK SABHA
ATTENDANCE
Raj Kumar Saini: 83%
National Average: 80%
State Average: 85%
DEBATES
Raj Kumar Saini: 23
National average: 67.1
State average: 60.6
QUESTIONS
Raj Kumar Saini: 57
National average: 292
State average: 262
MPLAD FUNDS: RAJ KUMAR SAINI
Funds sanctioned: Rs 20 crore
Spent: Rs 20 crore
Funds used: 100%
Infrastructure: 97%
Health: 1%
Education: 2%
OPPONENTS’ TAKE
“Development works came to a standstill during his stint. Saini dashed all hopes of people. People say there has not been any development in the constituency. Naveen Jindal, Congress
“His output as an MP has been zero. Saini’s only wish was to somehow become the Haryana CM. He focused on garnering supporters for himself and finally he has floated his own party. Kurukshetra’s development was ignored. Balbir Saini, formerly with INLD (now in BJP)
Face to face
‘Kurukshetra as holy
city topped agenda’
How was your experience in Parliament?
It was satisfying. I participated in debates and raised questions. I got major works implemented in my constituency. Often parties give funds to their favourite trusts or social organisations, but I spent for the common people without involving any such forum.
What were the high points of your five-year term?
I made efforts at all levels, including writing and meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi, to get Kurukshetra the status of a holy city. There are major works for Kurukshetra railway station but getting the holy city status for Kurukshetra was top on the agenda.
One thing you wished to do as an MP, but couldn’t? Why?
I failed to find a party that truly believes in and practises equality. Hence, the new party. I have closely seen all major parties during my two decades in politics. All of them only talk about poverty but don’t do anything for the needy.
Would you like to contest again? Why should the people re-elect you?
It is our parliamentary committee’s call. It is not what I would want to do but what the committee asks me to. It can ask me to contest the Lok Sabha or assembly elections or just tell me to shoulder the role of a pracharak.
You have courted controversy for your anti-Jat remarks; is it not casteist politics?
It’s all the other parties, not our LSP, which do casteist politics. Instead, we have sought 100% reservation for all castes in proportion to their population. What other parties have been doing is to giving quota to some castes at the cost of others. All parties from the Congress to the Indian National Lok Dal and the BJP, use poor and backward classes merely as a vote bank and go all out to appease Jats.
