Haryana decides to appoint new HSSC head, awaits EC nod

CHANDIGARH: With barely 10 days to go for the Lok Sabha elections in Haryana, the Nayab Singh Saini-led BJP govt in the state has decided to appoint a new chairman to the Haryana Staff Selection Commission (HSSC) and has sought approval from the Election Commission as the model code of conduct has been implemented in the state ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.

Himmat Singh, currently working as additional advocate general, has been selected as chairman of HSSC. However, he will be officially appointed to the post only after the state gets permission from the Election Commission.

Himmat Singh belongs to the Ror community, which has a significant presence in Karnal and Kurukshetra districts, and the appointment could have an impact in the Karnal LS seat, from where former Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar is the BJP candidate. It could offset the appeal of Ror community leader, Virender Maratha, who is Haryana president of the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar), and is contesting from Karnal LS seat.

Apart from Khattar, the appointment could also help Navin Jindal, a candidate from Kurukshetra, to make inroads into the Ror vote bank. An alumnus of Panjab University, Chandigarh, Himmat Singh has been actively associated with Khattar.

Haryana's chief secretary TVSN Prasad while seeking approval of chief electoral officer, Haryana, on April 19, pointed out that the selection process for appointment had begun much ahead of the enforcement of the model code of conduct in the state. He also mentioned that the appointment was essential due to pendency of certain HSSC-related writ petitions and contempt proceedings which require sanction from the chairman.