The Aryavarth Express
Agency(New Delhi): In a ceremony held at Raj Bhawan, Chandigarh, Nayab Singh Saini, representing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has been officially inducted as the Chief Minister of Haryana. The event, marking a pivotal moment for the state, saw the presence of prominent figures, including the former Chief Minister, Manohar Lal Khattar. Alongside Saini, four distinguished BJP leaders, namely Kanwar Pal Gujjar, Jai Parkash Dalal, Moolchand Sharma, and Banwari Lal, were inaugurated into the Haryana cabinet as ministers. Additionally, an independent MLA, Ranjit Singh, also took the oath, administered by Governor Bandaru Dattatreya.
This transition of leadership comes after Saini, a Lok Sabha MP from Kurukshetra and a significant persona among the OBC (Other Backward Classes) community, formally claimed his right to form the government. His claim was made following his meeting with Governor Bandaru Dattatreya on Tuesday, succeeding Manohar Lal Khattar, a senior BJP figure and Saini’s predecessor. Saini’s relationship with Khattar is notable, as he is seen as a close ally, with Khattar’s second consecutive term concluding this year.
Nayab Singh Saini’s political journey has been marked by his impactful victory in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, where he secured the Kurukshetra constituency with a significant margin, defeating Nirmal Singh of the Indian National Congress (INC) by over 3.83 lakh votes. The BJP showcased its dominance in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections by winning all 10 parliamentary seats in Haryana, a significant achievement with the JJP, in alliance with AAP, failing to secure a win in 7 out of the 10 seats they contested.
With the BJP holding 41 seats in the 90-member Haryana Assembly, the threshold for a majority is 46. The party looks forward to support from six independent MLAs. The political landscape of Haryana witnessed a shift with the dissolution of the BJP alliance with the Jannayak Janata Party (JJP), led by Deputy CM Dushyant Chautala, which held 10 seats in the Assembly. This development led to Manohar Lal Khattar resigning from his position as the state Chief Minister, culminating in the appointment of Nayab Singh Saini as the new leader of Haryana.