E-Paper
Haryana: Saini 2.0 checks in, 13 ministers also take oath
Thirteen MLAs, including four first-time MLAs, were also administered oath of office and secrecy as members of the Council of Ministers.
Nayab Singh Saini, a backward class (BC) leader was sworn in as Haryana chief minister at a grand ceremony attended by Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, on Thursday. Saini was administered the oath of office and secrecy by Governor Bandaru Dattatreya, a second time in seven months, to lead the state government.
The 54-year-old leader who had emerged as a surprise pick to replace his mentor Manohar Lal Khattar as chief minister seven months ago on March 12 was unanimously elected the leader of the BJP legislature group on October 16 after he led the BJP to a stunning and rather unexpected simple majority in the 2024 assembly elections, tiding over the party’s decade long anti-incumbency. Saini who comes from Naraingarh in Ambala district was elected as an MLA from Ladwa assembly constituency in 2024 assembly polls.
Saini was brought in as Khattar’s replacement before the Lok Sabha elections to stem the anti-incumbency sentiment of 10 years of BJP rule in the state. His entry also marked the exit of BJP’s post-2019 election ally, the Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) with whom the former ran a coalition government for about 52 months.
The BJP which outdid the Congress in the recent assembly polls under Saini’s leadership by winning 48 seats on Thursday formed a third successive government in the state, creating a record of sorts.
Thirteen MLAs, including four first-time MLAs, were also administered oath of office and secrecy as members of the Council of Ministers. With 14 ministers, including the chief minister being sworn in, on Thursday, there are no vacant slots left in the council of ministers led by Saini.
Ambala Cantt lawmaker, Anil Vij, who was elected to the assembly for a seventh term, former Rajya Sabha MP and Israna MLA, Krishan Lal Panwar, four-term MLA Rao Narbir Singh, three-term MLA from Panipat (rural), Mahipal Dhanda, Faridabad MLA Vipul Goel, first-time MLA and former MP, Arvind Sharma, Radaur MLA Shyam Singh Rana, Barwala MLA Ranbir Gangwa, Narwana MLA Krishan Kumar Bedi, first-time MLA and former MP Shruti Choudhry, first-time MLA Aarti Singh Rao were sworn in as ministers.
Tigaon MLA Rajesh Nagar and first-time MLA from Palwal, Gaurav Gautam were sworn in as ministers of state (independent charge).
The BJP specifically chose Thursday as the day for swearing in of the new chief minister and his council of ministers, October 17 being Valmiki Jayanti.
Meanwhile, a number of dignitaries including the BJP top brass – Union defence minister, Rajnath Singh, Union home minister Amit Shah, BJP national president JP Nadda, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath, Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu of the Telugu Desam, a constituent of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), were in attendance for the swearing-in ceremony.
