CHANDIGARH, Aug. 27 -- Haryana's "eyebrow raising" below poverty line (BPL) list, expanded generously by the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government before the October 2024 assembly elections, is now undergoing a course correction, it has emerged. The Nayab Singh Saini-led BJP government on Tuesday admitted in the assembly during the ongoing monsoon session that till March 31, 2025 the total number of "families in the BPL" category was 52,37,671. But after the "clean-up" exercise was started in April following doubts were raised in political circles over the sudden rise in the number of BPL families ahead of the assembly election, the government has removed 10,44,002 families from the BPL list in the last five months. Now, the total number of families in the BPL category as on August 22 was 41,93,669. As per 2011 census, Haryana's population was 2.54 crore. In the 2024 assembly elections, there were a little over 2 crore eligible voters in Haryana. And as many as 42 lakh families still falling in the ambit of BPL category means that annual income of at least 50% population of Haryana is less than 1.80 lakh as families having income less thanRs.1.80 lakh become eligible for BPL benefits. The sharp fall in total BPL households from 52.3 lakh in March this year to 41.9 lakh by August 22 came to the fore in response to a question Congress MLA Shishpal Keharwala (Kalanwali segment) had asked. The law maker had sought details of the number of new BPL cards issued between January 1, 2024 and July 31, 2025 and the number of BPL cards discontinued during the same period. The MLA also wanted to know the total number of BPL cards in the State on March 31, 2025 and the number of BPL cards at present and the basis on which the BPL cards have been discontinued. "8,73,507 families were added to, and 9,68,506 families were moved out of the BPL category during the period from January 1, 2024 to July 31, 2025. The total number of families in the BPL category as on 31 March 2025 was 52,37,671, and the total number of families in the BPL category as on August 22, 2025 is 41,93,669," Saini informed House, adding that families having income more thanRs.1.80 lakh become ineligible for BPL benefits as per government instructions. The Congress MLA asked what action the government will take against the "bogus" BPL beneficiaries and wanted to know the basis on which nearly nine lakh families were included in the BPL category and over nine lakh removed after the assembly elections. "This is a scam and it must be probed. How can lakhs of families be included and then removed from the BPL list?" Congress legislator Shishpal asked. The issue of sudden increase in the BPL categories ahead of assembly elections was debated hotly during the budget session in March also. In the 90-member assembly, BJP has 48 MLAs, Congress 37, INLD two and three MLAs are Independent....