Nayab Singh Saini became the new chief minister of Haryana on Tuesday, replacing Manohar Lal Khattar. Five ministers, including BJP MLAs Banwari Lal and Jai Parkash Dalal, along with independent legislator Ranjit Singh, also took oath at the swearing-in ceremony held at Raj Bhavan.
Former Home Minister Anil Vij, who left the legislative party meeting early, did not attend the oath ceremony in Chandigarh.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Saini after he became the CM. "Congratulations to Shri Nayab Saini Ji on becoming the Chief Minister of Haryana. Wishing him and his team of Ministers the very best for their efforts in fulfilling the aspirations of the people of Haryana," he posted on social media.
Saini, an MP from Kurukshetra and a face of the OBC community, was appointed as the state president of Haryana BJP last year.
Saini was chosen as the BJP's legislature party leader after Manohar Lal Khattar resigned due to cracks in the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party-Jannayak Janata Party (BJP-JJP) alliance, which had been in power since 2019.
"I thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP National President JP Nadda, Haryana BJP in charge Biplab Deb, and former Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar for choosing me as the leader of BJP legislature party," Saini posted on social media.
The alliance between the two parties soured after failed seat-sharing talks for the Lok Sabha elections. The Khattar cabinet, which included 14 ministers including the CM and three members of the Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala-led JJP, resigned.
Currently, the BJP has 41 MLAs in the 90-member assembly, while the JJP has 10. The ruling combine also has the support of six out of seven independents.
The main opposition Congress has 30 MLAs, and the Indian National Lok Dal and Haryana Lokhit Party have one seat each. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP won all 10 seats in the state.
Reacting to Khattar's resignation, Congress MP Deepender Hooda said, "All that is happening in Haryana is because the public has decided to bring change. The public was upset with the present government in the state. We are keeping a close eye on the developments."
