M A I N   N E W S

Modi confidant Khattar is Haryana CM
RSS veteran, first-time MLA chosen leader of BJP Legislature Party | Swearing-in on Oct 26
Naveen S Garewal & Pradeep Sharma
Tribune News Service

From backroom to hot seat A low-profile leader, Khattar (60) is known for his organisational skills and no-nonsense approach. Born in Rohtak, he enjoys a clean image and is considered close to PM Narendra Modi, with whom he has worked in the past. A bachelor, who once wanted to become a doctor, Khattar has almost 40 years of active and dedicated service to the RSS. He will be first Punjabi CM of Haryana A man with a sharp political acumen, Khattar has played the role of a master strategist and successfully led many electoral campaigns for his party, the latest being the 2014 LS polls in Haryana Khattar’s village rejoices Celebrations broke out at CM-designate ML Khattar’s Baniyani village as his name was cleared for the top post. Villagers who assembled at Khattar's home, danced to the beats of the "dhol" and offered sweets to each other. “We are delighted,” said Parasram Yadav, his neighbour. Unanimous choice A meeting of 47 newly elected BJP MLAs was held at the Chandigarh UT Guest House, where party Central observers Venkaiah Naidu and Dinesh Sharma were also present State BJP chief Ram Bilas Sharma proposed Khattar’s name which was seconded by Captain Abhimanyu, OP Dhankar, Anil Vij and several others Earlier, the observers held a closed-door meeting with senior state leaders and apprised them of the high command’s choice for the top post After his election, Khattar along with other BJP leaders went to the Raj Bhawan and staked claim to form government Abhay to be INLD leader in House Abhay Singh Chautala was on Tuesday elected leader of the INLD Legislature Party in the new Haryana Assembly. The meeting of newly elected party MLAs was held in New Delhi. The INLD has emerged as the principal opposition in the state after bagging 19 of the total 90 Assembly seats. —TNS

Chandigarh, October 21
First-time MLA and RSS veteran Manohar Lal Khattar will head the first BJP government in Haryana. A close aide of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Khattar was elected leader of the BJP Legislature Party at a meeting in Chandigarh on Tuesday.

Khattar (60) will be sworn in as the 10th Chief Minister at the Tau Devi Lal stadium at Panchkula on October 26. Modi is likely to attend the oath ceremony.

At the party MLAs’ meeting — where BJP Central observers Union Minister Venkaiah Naidu and BJP vice-president Dinesh Sharma were present — Haryana BJP chief Ram Bilas Sharma proposed the name of Khattar which was seconded by Captain Abhimanyu. OP Dhankar, Anil Vij and several others supported the proposal.

“The decision (to elect Khattar) was taken unanimously by party MLAs,” Naidu told reporters after the meeting. Immediately after his election, Khattar gave a slogan “sabka saath, sabka vikas” (take everyone along for development of all).

Earlier, BJP observers held a closed-door meeting with senior state leaders and “apprised” them of the high command’s choice for the top post. Khattar, accompanied by a BJP delegation, submitted a letter to Haryana Governor Kaptan Singh Solanki, staking party’s claim to form the government in the state. The Governor accepted the claim and invited Khattar to form the government.

Born in Rohtak, Khattar has worked as an RSS pracharak’ for 40 years. He won the Karnal seat with a margin of 63,736 votes.

The low-profile leader aspired to become a doctor in his childhood. His mother is said to have offered him her savings to study pre-medical at the Neki Ram College at Rohtak. But he could not make it to the medical college and went to Delhi where he started a small cloth shop in Sadar Bazaar. “While Modi ji was selling tea, Khattar was struggling to set up a cloth shop”, said an old associate of the man.

Khattar later did his graduation from Delhi University. He came in contact with the RSS during the Emergency. He has been a close associate of Modi and the duo has shared several moments together when Modi was in-charge of Punjab and Haryana affairs. With Khattar's election, Haryana will get a non-Jat Chief Minister after 18 years. Bhajan Lal was the last non-Jat Chief Minister who held office from 1991 to 1996.