Congress demands tender cancellation over Haryana power crisis, targets CM Saini
Synopsis
Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala has accused the Haryana government of engineering the backdoor privatisation of its power distribution system, alleging CM Nayab Saini is ceding control to a single private firm in Gurugram and Nuh for undisclosed gains — even as households, businesses and industries suffer under an ongoing electricity and water crisis.
Key Takeaways
Randeep Singh Surjewala publicly attacked the Haryana government on 23 October 2026 over a severe electricity and water crisis.
He demanded immediate cancellation of any tender awarded to a private company for the state's power distribution system .
Surjewala alleged CM Nayab Singh Saini 's government is handing the system to a single private firm for undisclosed benefits, starting with Gurugram and Nuh .
He questioned the independence of the Haryana Electricity Regulatory Commission (HERC) , alleging its members were BJP appointees.
Citing Section 108 of the Electricity Act , he argued the government has statutory authority to intervene and cancel the process.
The Haryana government is yet to formally respond to the allegations.
Senior Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala on Friday, 23 October launched a sharp attack on the Haryana government over what he described as a deepening electricity and water crisis in the state, demanding the immediate cancellation of any tender awarded to a private company for the power distribution system. Surjewala directly questioned Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini's role, alleging that the government was engineering a privatisation move for undisclosed gains.
The Allegations Against the Saini Government
Addressing the issue through a video message posted on X, Surjewala painted a grim picture of conditions on the ground. 'Haryana is facing a lot of problems due to the electricity and water crises. People's inverters are failing. Businesses and industries are in ruins. People are protesting out of frustration over the lack of basic necessities such as water and milk,' he said.
The Congress leader alleged that the state government, led by Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, was seeking to hand over the power distribution system to a single private company, with Gurugram and Nuh identified as the initial areas targeted — districts he described as particularly profitable for private operators.
HERC and Regulatory Accountability Under Scrutiny
Surjewala trained his fire on the Haryana Electricity Regulatory Commission (HERC), questioning whether the Commission had independently ordered the handover or was acting as an instrument of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). 'You have made all the appointments, and the members are also from the BJP. You have the government, you make the appointments, and you have the commissions. You have also issued orders to hand over the system to private companies,' he alleged.
He dismissed the government's claim that it opposed the privatisation move, asking pointedly why it had not intervened or issued warnings to the companies involved.
Legal Basis for Intervention
Citing Section 108 of the Electricity Act, Surjewala argued that the Haryana government possessed sufficient statutory authority to step in and halt proceedings. He called on the government to convene discussions with electricity unions and rescind the disputed tender without further delay. 'If you have even a little self-respect and care about the people of Haryana, call the electricity unions and cancel the tender awarded to the private company,' he said.
Warning and Political Fallout
Surjewala issued a direct warning to Chief Minister Saini, holding the government accountable for any further deterioration. 'If Haryana's homes are plunged into darkness, thousands of people take to the streets in protest, or the power distribution system suffers huge losses, the entire responsibility will lie with Nayab Saini and his government,' he said. He added that those involved in driving the privatisation process would be held responsible for its consequences.
This comes amid broader tensions in Haryana over utility services, with the opposition Congress seeking to frame the issue as a governance failure ahead of continued political scrutiny of the BJP-led state administration. The government is yet to formally respond to Surjewala's specific allegations regarding the tender.
Point of View
And electricity crises are historically potent public grievances. But the core allegation deserves scrutiny: if HERC, a nominally independent regulator, has initiated proceedings that the elected government claims to oppose, that is either a regulatory governance failure or political theatre. The absence of any government rebuttal to the specific tender allegation is notable. Privatisation of power distribution has precedents in India — Odisha's experiment yielded mixed results — and Haryana's dense industrial belt makes the stakes unusually high. Without transparency on the tender terms and HERC's stated rationale, the public is left choosing between competing political claims rather than assessing a verifiable policy decision.
NationPress
23 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What has Congress demanded regarding Haryana's power crisis?
Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala has demanded the immediate cancellation of a tender reportedly awarded to a private company for Haryana's power distribution system. He has also called on Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini to consult electricity unions and use the government's authority under Section 108 of the Electricity Act to intervene.
What is the allegation against Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini?
Surjewala has alleged that CM Saini's government is seeking to hand over Haryana's electricity distribution network to a single private company for undisclosed benefits. He claimed the process was being initiated first in Gurugram and Nuh, areas he described as profitable for private operators.
What role does the Haryana Electricity Regulatory Commission play in this controversy?
The HERC is the state-level regulator that reportedly issued orders related to the distribution handover. Surjewala alleged that since all HERC appointments were made by the BJP-led government, the Commission cannot be treated as independent, and the elected government cannot escape accountability for its decisions.
What legal authority does the Haryana government have to intervene?
According to Surjewala, Section 108 of the Electricity Act gives the Haryana government sufficient statutory power to step in, override the tender process, and cancel the award to any private company. He used this to argue the government's claim of helplessness is not credible.
How are ordinary residents affected by the Haryana electricity crisis?
Surjewala described widespread disruption, including failing inverters in homes, shuttered businesses, paralysed industries, and shortages of basic necessities such as water and milk. He said residents across the state had taken to the streets in protest over the deteriorating situation.
