Saini takes oath as Haryana CM, six first-time MLAs among 13 in Cabinet
Amid chants of “Jai Shri Ram” and “Sanatan Dharm ki jai”, the BJP’s OBC face, Nayab Singh Saini (54), was on Thursday sworn in as the Chief Minister of Haryana for the second time in eight months. He along with 13 ministers was administered the oath of office in the presence of PM Narendra Modi and a galaxy of central ministers and chief ministers of at least 18 NDA-ruled states.
The oath-taking ceremony lasted just over 35 minutes. Haryana Governor Bandaru Dattatreya administered the oath to Saini, who steered the BJP to its third consecutive victory in the state. The party won with the highest-ever mandate, winning 48 of the 90 seats. Saini is a protégé of Power Minister and former CM Manohar Lal Khattar and openly declares his loyalty to the leader.
The Governor also administered oath of office to 11 Cabinet ministers and two ministers of state. Seven-time MLA Anil Vij (Ambala Cantt), Dalit face and former Rajya Sabha MP Krishan Lal Panwar (Israna), Ahir leader Rao Narbir (Badshahpur), Jat face Mahipal Dhanda (Panipat Rural), Brahmin leader Arvind Sharma (Gohana), Vipul Goel (Faridabad), Shyam Singh Rana (Radaur), Ranbir Gangwa (Barwala), Krishan Bedi (Narwana), Shruti Choudhry (Tosham) and Arti Singh Rao (Ateli) were inducted as Cabinet ministers. Gujjar leader Rajesh Nagar (Tigaon) and Gaurav Gautam (Palwal), who defeated Congress stalwart Karan Singh Dalal and is learnt to have closely worked with senior BJP leaders, were inducted as ministers of state.
Six ministers in the Saini Cabinet are first-timers. The GT belt and south Haryana have been rewarded with five ministers each with the exception of Karnal and Rewari, which have given all seats to the BJP. The dynasty of Haryana’s architect Bansi Lal has found representation in Shruti Choudhry, his granddaughter, who had joined the BJP along with her mother and Rajya Sabha MP Kiran Choudhry ahead of the state Assembly elections. Recognising the hold of Rao Inderjit Singh, son of late CM and Ahir leader Rao Birender Singh, in winning the Ahirwal belt for the BJP, his daughter Arti Singh Rao has been inducted as a Cabinet minister. Both Shruti and Arti are first-time MLAs, although Shruti has been an MP from the Bhiwani-Mahendergarh seat. None of the three Independent MLAs who extended support to the saffron party were inducted. Sirsa, Fatehabad and Rohtak, too, found no representation.
Since morning, all roads led to the parade ground in Panchkula, the venue for the high-profile ceremony, which had Union ministers Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh, Nitin Gadkari as also BJP chief JP Nadda in attendance.
The CMs of at least 18 NDA-ruled states, including Uttar Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya and Andhra Pradesh, attended the mega political gathering in the run-up to Assembly elections in Maharashtra and Jharkhand. The BJP had earlier chosen Panchkula for the oath-taking ceremony in 2014 when it assumed power in the state for the first time.
The pandal was done up in saffron and white, while the stage was decked with flowers. A separate stage was set up for MLAs and party leaders, which was packed to capacity.
The pandal started filling up since early morning as workers from across the state converged on Panchkula to witness the hat-trick celebrations of the BJP government. While Saini was cheered the loudest by the crowd and slogans of “Jai Shri Ram” filled the air, the crowd also cheered the ministers individually as they were administered the oath. There was a near-stampede at the entry gates where party supporters gathered in large numbers, making it impossible for the police to control the enthusiastic crowd.
