CHANDIGARH, Oct 17: Nayab Singh Saini, the proverbial dark horse who became star of the BJP’s victory in the Haryana Assembly elections, was sworn in as Chief Minister of the State on Thursday in a grand ceremony attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and a galaxy of NDA leaders.
Thousands of people packed into the Dussehra Ground to watch Governor Bandaru Dattatreya administer the oath of office to the low profile OBC leader and 13 others. For the BJP, the messaging was not just in its show of strength with a power packed dais seating its Chief Ministers, Ministers and NDA partners but also in its choice of the day – Valmiki Jayanti.
Sage-poet Valmiki is the author of the Hindu epic Ramayana and a revered figure, especially among Dalits.
The Prime Minister congratulated Saini and his ministerial colleagues on their swearing-in and described the team as a wonderful mix of good governance and experience.
“This Government will realise the dreams of people and take the state’s development to a new high,” he said in a post on X in Hindi.
“I am confident that the double engine government will leave no stone unturned in serving the poor, farmers, youths and women besides all other sections of society,” Modi said.
Saini also thanked 2.8 crore people of Haryana for their mandate and the Prime Minister for his “inspirational leadership”.
“For the third time with full majority, the BJP Government will work with full energy for good governance, equality and welfare of the poor,” Saini said in a post on X after being sworn in for the second time as chief minister.
The 54-year-old, who was the surprise pick to replace strongman M L Khattar as Chief Minister ahead of the Assembly elections, proved his naysayers wrong by steering the BJP to a win in an election many thought would go to the Congress.
Saini is heading the BJP’s third consecutive Government in the State, a strategic victory after the Lok Sabha elections that many party leaders hope sets the pace for next month’s crucial Assembly polls in Maharashtra and Jharkhand.
The BJP won 48 seats in the 90-member Assembly. Three Independents, including Hisar MLA Savitri Jindal, also extended support to the party.
Haryana can have a maximum of 14 ministers, including the Chief Minister.
The 13-member Council of Ministers includes the party’s most senior leader and seven-time MLA Anil Vij, Ahir leader Rao Narbir Singh and Jat leader Mahipal Dhanda. It also has two women – former Congress leader Shruti Choudhary, daughter of Rajya Sabha MP Kiran Choudhary, and first time MLA Arti Singh, the daughter of Union Minister Rao Inderjit Singh.
Rajesh Nagar and Gaurav Gautam took oath as state ministers (independent charge).
All the newly inducted ministers except Choudhary took their oath in Hindi. Choudhary took her oath in English.
Besides giving representation to various castes, including five from the OBC category, two Dalits, two Jats and two Brahmins, the Saini Ministry has also accommodated leaders from various regions, including Ahirwal belt, GT road belt and the Faridabad-Palwal region.
“It is teamwork… We will fulfil all the responsibilities given to us by the CM (Nayab Singh Saini),” BJP’s Shyam Singh Rana said after taking oath as Haryana Minister.
Union Minister Khattar, who had ceded space to Saini, took the occasion to thank all the NDA leaders, Chief Ministers and others who had gathered.
“This is the first time since 1980 that any party has formed Government thrice in Haryana or any other state,” he said after the event.
Among those present were Union Ministers Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh, Nitin Gadkari and BJP president J P Nadda. Chief Ministers of several BJP-ruled states, including Uttar Pradesh’s Yogi Adityanath, Assam’s Himanta Biswa Sarma, Chhattisgarh’s Vishnu Deo Sai, Gujarat’s Bhupendra Patel and Uttarakhand’s Pushkar Singh Dhami. (PTI)
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