Faridabad NIT, Mullana legislators among those who questioned govt most

Among the outgoing MLAs, Faridabad NIT MLA Neeraj Sharma and former Mullana MLA Varun Chaudhary questioned the BJP-led government the most — both through starred and unstarred questions — in the last five years. JJP MLA Naina Singh Chautala ranks third on the list.

Sharma, one of the most vocal Congress MLAs, asked 164 questions, with an attendance of 99 per cent, according to PRS Legislative Research, a non-profit organisation which does research on legislature data. During a Question Hour in March 2022, he inquired about the scams exposed in the Municipal Corporation of Faridabad from 2014 to 2021 and how many were handed over to the Vigilance Department. Despite then Urban Local Bodies Minister Kamal Gupta assuring that guilty wouldn’t be spared, Sharma, a first-time MLA, vowed not to wear stitched clothes and shoes until at least one “guilty” official was punished. He briefly left the House and returned wearing a white “dhoti” and a cloth wrapped around his body.

Those who didn’t ask any question

• Panipat Rural MLA Mahipal Dhanda (BJP)
• Beri MLA Raghuvir Singh Kadian (Congress)
• Pundri MLA Randhir Singh Gollen (Independent)

Varun Chaudhary, one of the most well-prepared Congress MLAs and now a Lok Sabha MP from Ambala, asked 152 questions, with an attendance of 100 per cent. According to the National e-Vidhan Application for all state legislators, his questions revealed how ill-equipped the Haryana State Narcotics Control Bureau was, disclosed pending disciplinary cases against IAS and HCS officers, noted the reduction in state-owned buses under the BJP rule, and highlighted the issuance of four arms licenses per day in the state. Additionally, as the chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), he, a first-time MLA, exposed significant issues in mining operations in Yamunanagar. The e-Rawanna portal reflected multiple dispatches within a few seconds, which was impossible, and mining check posts were operated by staff of mining contractors themselves.

JJP’s Badhra MLA Naina Singh Chautala asked 131 questions, with an attendance rate of 84 per cent. Hailing from the party that was part of the BJP-led government until March, with her son Dushyant as Deputy CM, she focused more on issues concerning her constituency and Charkhi Dadri district, such as dilapidated sub-health centres, development works under MGNREGA, and the establishment of drone training centres. A two-time MLA, she is not contesting elections this time.

Congress’ Gohana MLA Jagbir Singh Malik asked 109 questions, with an attendance of 97 per cent. He exposed the shortage of doctors, rising crime against women, and revealed jobs provided by the Haryana Public Service Commission, Haryana Staff Selection Commission, and Haryana Kaushal Rozgar Nigam Limited, which became a focal point for the Congress narrative. Malik, a five-time MLA, also questioned the government about corruption cases registered during their regime.

Congress’ Kalka MLA Pardeep Chaudhary posed 103 questions, with attendance at 91 per cent. As a two-time MLA, his questions remained focused on his constituency, addressing pending arbitration cases related to land acquisition, dust problems caused by screening plants, tenders for door-to-door garbage collection, and the verification of migrant workers.

Among the BJP MLAs, Krishan Lal Middha (Jind), a two-time MLA, posed 95 questions, the most in his party, while maintaining an attendance rate of 96 percent. However, his questions were largely confined to his constituency, addressing issues such as the upgradation of schools, cluster drinking water projects, and the opening of a sub-health centre.

BJP’s Panipat Rural MLA Mahipal Dhanda did not ask a single question. He later became a minister in the Nayab Singh Saini government. Former Speaker Raghuvir Singh Kadian, Congress’ Beri MLA, and Independent Randhir Singh Gollen (Pundri MLA) also did not ask any questions.

Elected from the Baroda constituency, Sri Krishan Hooda passed away on April 12, 2020. He could only ask two questions. Bhavya Bishnoi, who was elected in the Adampur by-poll in November 2022, posed just three questions. Congress’ Bahadurgarh MLA Rajender Singh Joon and BJP’s Tigaon MLA Rajesh Nagar had only four questions each, while Congress’ Kalanaur MLA Shakuntla Khatak asked five.

Among those who missed the House proceedings the most was Haryana Lokhit Party’s Sirsa MLA Gopal Kanda. He had the lowest attendance at 29 percent and had asked nine questions. Kuldeep Bishnoi, who represented Adampur from October 2019 to August 2022, had an attendance rate of just 36 percent while he asked 11 questions.