The Haryana government’s decision to cancel recruitment for over 8,500 posts, including 5,666 in the police force and 3,053 Group C vacancies, has triggered a political storm, with the Opposition accusing the ruling BJP of deceiving the youth for electoral gains.

The move comes nearly 10 months after Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini led the BJP to a historic third consecutive term in the October 2024 Assembly elections, winning 48 out of 90 seats. A key element of the BJP’s pre-poll campaign was the announcement of massive recruitment drives, including the direct hiring of police personnel and Group C staff, along with 25,000 contractual jobs across departments.

Appointment letters for the contractual posts were issued shortly after the new government was sworn in.

However, in a sharp reversal, the Haryana Staff Selection Commission (HSSC) recently scrapped the recruitment for the police and Group C posts. Defending the decision, the government said it aims to introduce a more transparent and systematic recruitment process.

The HSSC clarified that all future appointments for these categories will be made only after candidates clear the Common Eligibility Test (CET), which is expected to be conducted in July.

The decision has provoked strong criticism from the Opposition, particularly the Congress party. Former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda alleged that the job announcements were a “poll gimmick” aimed at winning votes ahead of the October elections.

“They made grand promises, won the election, and now they have cancelled the same posts. The youth of Haryana will not forget this betrayal,” Hooda said.

He also lashed out at the BJP-led administration for failing to fulfill its manifesto commitments and mishandling student protests.

“Students in Hisar were lathi-charged for demanding their scholarships. This is a non-performing government,” he said, referring to the June 10 protest at Chaudhary Charan Singh Agricultural University.

AICC general secretary and MP Randeep Singh Surjewala also condemned the cancellation, stating, “More than 8,500 advertised posts have now been scrapped. It’s clear the government had no intention of recruiting — they misled the youth.” He questioned why announcements were made if the government was not serious about completing the process.

Surjewala pointed to the recent Punjab and Haryana High Court decision quashing a 2019 state notification that granted additional marks for socio-economic criteria in Group B and C posts.

“More than 13.5 lakh candidates have registered for the CET. Only one exam has been conducted in the last five years, and even that was invalidated by the court. The government misled candidates about the socio-economic criteria. Now, the CM says they will challenge the verdict in a higher court.”

He further alleged that around 50,000 contractual employees had been hired through the Haryana Kaushal Rozgar Nigam before the 2024 polls, of whom nearly 4,000 have already been terminated.

“What will happen to the rest?” he asked.

Surjewala warned that the BJP could repeat the same tactic before the next election cycle, making job promises it has no intention of fulfilling.

“The people must question ministers and MLAs now, or the BJP will announce new jobs before the next polls and cancel them afterward.”

Meanwhile, HSSC chairman Himmat Singh sought to reassure applicants, stating in a post on X that the CET exam date would be announced soon.

He urged candidates to continue their preparations, adding that all future Group C and D recruitments will be conducted based on CET results. Currently, 13.48 lakh youth are enrolled for the test.