Cricketer Rinku Singh gets engaged to Samajwadi Party MP Priya Saroj in Lucknow
Lucknow: Indian cricketer Rinku Singh got engaged to Samajwadi Party MP Priya Saroj in a private ceremony held in Lucknow on Sunday. The couple is set to tie the knot on 18 November later this year.
The engagement, attended by close friends and family, also saw the presence of several high-profile personalities, including Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, MP Dimple Yadav, veteran actor and Rajya Sabha MP Jaya Bachchan, and Congress leader as well as BCCI Vice President Rajeev Shukla.
Speaking to PTI, Shukla said, "May both of them enjoy a beautiful life. This is a wonderful match. Each excels in their own field, and together, they will make a strong and successful pair."
Priya Saroj’s father, Tufani Saroj — a three-time MP and current MLA from Kerakat — said the event was an “intimate affair.” He revealed that Rinku and Priya met through a mutual friend’s father, who is also a cricketer. The couple have known each other for over a year and decided to proceed with the marriage after receiving the blessings of both families.
Priya Saroj, 26, is among the youngest members of Parliament and represents the Machhlishahr constituency in Jaunpur, Uttar Pradesh. She entered politics in 2024 and defeated BJP’s BP Saroj by a margin of over 35,000 votes.
Rinku Singh, 27, is a key member of the Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL and has represented India in 2 ODIs and 33 T20Is.
Notably, the couple had also recently attended the engagement ceremony of cricketer Kuldeep Yadav and his fiancée Vanshika in Lucknow.
Photos and videos from the engagement have been widely circulated on social media.
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Metro ridership in Haryana sees over 13 pc rise in 2025-26
Chandigarh (PTI): Haryana's urban transit system witnessed a strong growth in 2025-26, with metro ridership registering a robust 13.55 per cent increase, the state government said in a statement on Thursday.
The progress was reviewed in the 64th board meeting of Haryana Mass Rapid Transport Corporation (HMRTC) chaired by Chief Secretary Anurag Rastogi.
Between April 2025 and February 2026, the metro network recorded over 1.74 crore passengers, compared to 1.53 crore in the corresponding period the previous year.
July recorded the highest monthly growth at 22.93 per cent, while all months showed consistent positive trends.
Financial performance has also remained strong, with fare revenue rising 12.64 per cent till January 2026, the statement said.
Non-fare revenue surged by 108 per cent, driven by effective monetisation of station spaces, advertisements and commercial activities, resulting in an operating surplus for Rapid Metro.
Further initiatives, including the auction of station naming rights and additional advertisement sites, are expected to strengthen HMRTC's financial position, the statement said.
Appreciating the performance, Rastogi stated that the consistent rise in ridership and revenue reflects the success of Haryana's integrated transport strategy, rising commuter confidence and a clear shift towards public transport.
HMRTC Managing Director Chander Shekhar Khare said that, alongside operational gains, the state is making steady progress on an ambitious pipeline of metro and regional transit projects.
Metro connectivity from Gurugram Sector 56 to Panchgaon is under active consideration, with Haryana State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited studying the Detailed Project Report (DPR) and layout plan, and finalising a depot location in Sector 36A near Sihi village, he said.
The Gurugram-Faridabad Namo Bharat corridor has achieved a key milestone, with alignment and station locations finalised and approved by the Haryana government. The National Capital Region Transport Corporation is preparing the DPR, he added.
Similarly, the Delhi-Kundli metro extension is proposed to be placed before the Haryana Cabinet for approval.
The 136.3-kilometre Delhi-Panipat-Karnal RRTS Corridor has also progressed, with the revised DPR submitted for financial concurrence ahead of Haryana Cabinet consideration.
Within Gurugram, DPR preparation has been approved for key intra-city corridors, including the 17.09-kilometre Bhondsi-Subhash Chowk-Rajeev Chowk-Sohna Chowk Railway Station corridor, enhancing connectivity along Sohna Road, Khare said.
