Haryana Cabinet: A blend of experience, loyalty, and new faces

With the BJP forming the government for a record third consecutive term in Haryana by securing an absolute majority, defying an anti-incumbency of 10 years, a low-profile non-Jat from the Other Backward Classes (OBC) face Nayab Singh Saini, 54, took oath as the Chief Minister for the second time in the presence of a galaxy of NDA leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The Chief Minister Saini took oath along with his 13 Cabinet members on October 17 and vowed to tirelessly serve the 2.8 crore people of Haryana.

Know your ministers:

Nayab Singh Saini: CM

Chief  Minister Nayab Singh Saini , BJP' s OBC face and Ladwa MLA, is a three-time MLA. He defeated Congress' sitting MLA Mewa Singh from Ladwa. He was sworn in the CM for second time on October 17 after BJP's hat-trick in Haryana. He has kept to himself major portfolios like home, finance, excise and taxation and town and country planning. In all, he holds 12 portfolios, including CID, law and legislative, public relations and housing

Anil Vij: Energy and Transport 

Anil Vij, a seven-time MLA and the senior most minister of the Nayab Singh Saini government, is seen as an 'activist' minister. Nicknamed 'Gabar' for carrying out surprise checks and taking on-the-spot action, he does not shy away from calling a spade a spade.  With his ears to the ground, his USP has always been his accessibility. He will be the new Energy, Transport and Labour minister.

Krishan Lal Panwar: Development and Panchayat

A prominent Dalit face of the BJP, Krishan Lal Panwar, has been allocated the Development and Panchayat and Mines and Geology departments. After getting eleced from Israna, he recently resigned from the Rajya Sabha. A six-time MLA and being close to Khattar, Panwar hails from other Scheduled Caste groups.

Mahipal Dhanda: Education and Parliamentary Affairs

Dhanda, the Panipat- Rural MLA and the Jat face of the BJP, he is the third- time MLA, winning from Panipat- Rural segment since 2014. He was one of the two ministers who the assembly poll. He will look after School Education and Higher Education and Parliamentary Affairs.

Dr Arvind Kumar Sharma: Tourism, Cooperation, Jails, Elections

A four-time MP and one-time MLA, Sharma has been allocated Cooperation, Jails, Elections, heritage, and Tourism departments. He became prominent when he defeated Deepender Hooda in 2019 from Rohtak parliamentary constituency. A Brahmin face of the BJP, he has also contested elections from Congress and BSP tickets in the past. He has been a Khattar-baiter and demanded that a Brahmin should be a CM in 2022.

Shyam Singh Rana: Agriculture and Animal Husbandry

The Radaur MLA and Rajput face will be the Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare and Animal Husbandry and Dairying. He is a second-time MLA and grassroots leader from the GT Road belt.

Krishan Bedi: Social Justice and Empowerment

Narwana MLA and Dalit Face, will look after the Social Justice and Empowerment and Antyodaya( SEWA) and Hospitality Departments. Bedi, a loyalist of former CM Manohar Lal Khattar, has been elected MLA for the second time.

Arti Singh Rao: Health

Ateli MLA and daughter of Union Minister Rao Inderjit Singh, Arti Rao, will be the new Health Minister and will also look after Medical Education and Research and Ayush Department. A national-level shooter, Arti made her electoral debut in 2024 Assembly polls and represents Ahirwal region in the ministry.

Rao Narbir: Industries & Commerce Minister

He a four-time MLA and an Ahir leader, has the distinction of being a minister each he has been elected to the Vidhan Sabha. The only minister from Gurgaon, he belongs to the opposite camp of Gurgaon MP and Union Minister of State (Independent Charge), Rao Inderjit Singh. He is the new Industries & Commerce Minister. He will also handle the portfolios of Environment, Forests and Wild Life, Foreign Cooperation and Sainik & Ardh Sainik Welfare.

Ranbir Gangwa: Public Health Engineering and Public Works

Former Deputy Speaker of the Haryana Legislative Assembly, Ranbir Gangwa, has been allocated Public Health Engineering and Public Works (Roads and Bridges). BJP’s strategy to shift Gangwa from his old Nalwa segment to the Barwala segment paid off as the party won both seats. Gangwa, who belongs to the OBC community, had represented the Nalwa segment twice– in 2019 (as a BJP candidate) and in 2014 as an INLD candidate.

Vipul Goel: Revenue and Urban Local Bodies

The Former Industries minister in the first term of the BJP government (2014-19), contested the Assembly election only twice and has been minister both times. In the 2019 election, the party denied him a ticket only to rely on him in this election. Goel, representing Faridabad, had serious differences with the local MP and Union Minister of state Krishan Pal Gujjar in his previous term. These have since then been resolved. He is the new Revenue & Disaster Management, Urban Local Bodies, Civil Aviation minister.

Shruti Choudhry: Women & Child Development and Irrigation

Daughter of senior leader Kiran Choudhry and granddaughter of late chief minister Bansi Lal, she, along with her mother, quit the Congress to join the BJP ahead of the Assembly elections. A former MP from Bhiwani-Mahendergarh, she is a first-time MLA. She is the new Women & Child Development and Irrigation & Water Resources minister.

Rajesh Nagar: Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs

Rajesh Nagar, Minister of State, has been allocated Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs, and Printing and Stationary departments. He will be having an independent charge of both of them. A two-time MLA from Tigaon, Nagar hails from the OBC community.

Gaurav Gautam: Sports, Youth Empowerment

Called the 'giant killer' Gaurav Gautam is a first-time MLA from Palwal. A Brahmin face of BJP, he came to prominence as he defeated Congress veteran Karan Dalal, a relative of former CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda, by a margin of 33,605 votes. Dalal had represented the constituency five times in the past. He has been allocated Youth Empowerment and Entrepreneurship and Sports departments as an Independent charge. He will also handle the Law and Legislative department.