At a quickly called ceremony in Chandigarh on Tuesday night, 54-year-old Nayab Singh Saini of the BJP took the oath of office as the new Chief Minister of Haryana, capping a hectic few hours that began this morning with the resignation of his predecessor, Manohar Lal Khattar, and the whole cabinet.
Mr. Saini, who is regarded as ML Khattar’s confidant, made a noteworthy gesture by bending to touch his feet twice. In response, he received a hug. Along with Mr. Saini, the BJP’s JP Dalal, Moolchand Sharma, Banwari Lal, and Kanwar Pal Gurjar all swore in as ministers after serving in the previous administration.
The dismissal of departing Home Minister Anil Vij is another noteworthy development.
Six independent MPs and maybe five from Dushyant Chautala’s JJP, the now-formal Deputy Chief Minister, will support the new government. Although they are not anticipated to be appointed to cabinet positions, they are likely to cross over. With 41 MLAs, the BJP holds a majority of 46 in the 90-member House.
There is a floor test set for Wednesday at 11 a.m., which is probably going to be a standard procedure.
The resignations of Mr. Khattar and his ministers came after the ruling BJP-JJP alliance broke up due to unsuccessful negotiations over seat sharing for the Lok Sabha election. But the chief ministerial exchange has also been viewed as just another page in the BJP’s well-worn political playbook.
In the past, the party has changed out chief ministers, and reshuffled cabinets before Assembly elections to ward off the anti-incumbency factor and rejuvenate state units and leaders. This was the tactic before polls in Gujarat and Uttarakhand, which the party won, and Karnataka, which it lost.
The selection of Mr Saini – an influential Other Backward Classes leader – also represents the BJP’s focus on caste and OBC equations in each state before an election. The BJP made similar moves in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Chhattisgarh (this was after it won the elections).
In the first instance, it replaced four-time Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and, in the second, in Rajasthan, opted against bringing back former Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje.
Mr Khattar is a two-time Chief Minister and his term was to expire in October.
BJP’s Nayab Singh Saini Takes Oath As New Haryana Chief Minister
Nayab Singh Saini sworn in as new Haryana Chief Minister.
New Delhi: The BJP’s Nayab Singh Saini, 54, was sworn in as the new Chief Minister of Haryana at a rapidly-assembled ceremony in Chandigarh Tuesday evening, capping a frenetic few hours triggered by the resignation this morning of his predecessor, Manohar Lal Khattar, and the entire cabinet.
In a significant gesture, Mr Saini – seen as a confidante of the 69-year-old ML Khattar – bent to touch his feet twice, and was hugged in return. And, in addition to Mr Saini, the BJP’s JP Dalal, Moolchand Sharma, Banwari Lal, and Kanwar Pal Gurjar – all from the old cabinet – took oath as ministers.
In an equally significant move, outgoing Home Minister Anil Vij has been dropped.
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The new government will be backed by six independent lawmakers and, potentially, five from the JJP of now ex-Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala, who are set to cross but are not expected to get cabinet berths. The BJP has 41 MLAs in the 90-member House, in which the majority mark is set at 46.
A floor test, which will most likely be a routine procedure – is scheduled for 11 am Wednesday.
Mr Khattar’s stepping down – and that of his ministers – followed a breakdown of the ruling BJP-JJP alliance over failed seat-sharing talks for the Lok Sabha election. However, the swapping of a chief minister has also been seen as another chapter in the BJP’s well-worn election playbook.
READ | Who Is Nayab Saini: 5 Facts On New Haryana Chief Minister
In the past, the party has changed out chief ministers, and reshuffled cabinets before Assembly elections to ward off the anti-incumbency factor and rejuvenate state units and leaders. This was the tactic before polls in Gujarat and Uttarakhand, which the party won, and Karnataka, which it lost.
The selection of Mr Saini – an influential Other Backward Classes leader – also represents the BJP’s focus on caste and OBC equations in each state before an election. The BJP made similar moves in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Chhattisgarh (this was after it won the elections).
READ | Nayab Saini To Be New Haryana Chief Minister After ML Khattar Quits
In the first instance, it replaced four-time Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and, in the second, in Rajasthan, opted against bringing back former Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje.
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Mr Khattar is a two-time Chief Minister and his term was to expire in October.
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Another likely factor in picking Mr Saini to be the new Chief Minister is that his community accounts for an estimated eight per cent of the state population, with sizeable populations in the Kurukshetra, Yamunanagar, Ambala, Hisar and Rewari districts. Mr Saini is the Lok Sabha MP from Kurukshetra.
Haryana’s political landscape was thrown into flux this morning after Mr Khattar’s resignation, with a several rumours doing the rounds, including one that he will make his Lok Sabha election debut.
There was speculation Mr Khattar would be fielded either from Karnal (held by the BJP’s Sanjay Bhatia) or Mr Saini’s Kurukshetra seat. It now appears he will be given the ticket for the latter.
Speaking to reporters after the swearing-in, BJP National General Secretary Tarun Chugh – one of two senior leaders sent by the party’s HQ as observers – said, “He (Mr Khattar) is a senior leader and has experience… and had run a good government. Soon the party will give him a big responsibility.”
After the 2019 Assembly election, the BJP-JJP coalition in Haryana appeared to be functioning well until disagreements arose regarding seat distribution for the Lok Sabha elections. In 2019, the JJP ran for office and lost seven seats, while the BJP gained ten. The JJP had requested two seats, but the BJP had only agreed to grant them one.
The JJP has declared that it will run for all ten seats alone. Dushyant Chautala, the leader of the party, is set to reveal campaign plans during a gathering the party will host in the Hisar district.
As soon as Mr Saini took office, Mr Chautala thanked the people of Haryana for the “opportunity to serve as Deputy Chief Minister” in a message on X, the previous Twitter platform.
“Your support and cooperation for the welfare of Haryana… has always energised me. With limited time, and limited numbers, we worked day and night to protect Haryana’s interests,” he said.
Despite having just ten Lok Sabha seats, Haryana is an important battlefield for the BJP because it is a state in the Hindi heartland. This is especially true given that the party of Prime Minister Narendra Modi set a goal of 370 seats in the Lok Sabha on its own and 400 seats with the support of the NDA.
Meanwhile, the Congress has taken aim at the BJP. Selja Kumari, the former head of the state unit, attacked the party for “roaming all over the country making alliances” while neglecting to run Haryana effectively.
“They need to give a reason for the alliance’s dissolution. While you are travelling the nation and forming coalitions with political parties, the people of Haryana have witnessed your poor leadership throughout your five years in office. Congress is the only other option,” she informed news agency.
