BJP leader Nayab Singh Saini was sworn in as the new Chief Minister of Haryana on Tuesday evening, succeeding Manohar Lal Khattar, whose second term as the chief minister was bound to end in October 2024.

Nayab Singh Saini, a low-profile OBC leader of the BJP, took oath in front of Khattar at the Raj Bhawan at around 5 pm. Before taking to the centre of the stage, Saini took blessings of the BJP strongman and outgoing leadership, Khattar.

BJP leaders Kanwar Pal Gujjar, Jai Parkash Dalal, Banwari Lal and Mool Chand Sharma also took oath as Haryana Cabinet ministers. Independent MLA Ranjit Singh Chautala has also taken the oath as minister in the BJP-led state.

The move came close on the heels of Manohar Lal Khattar and his Cabinet submitting their resignations to Haryana Governor Bandaru Dattatreya earlier in the day. In short order, Nayab Singh Saini, 54, was unanimously elected the BJP's Legislative Party leader in the presence of Khattar and Haryana-in-charge Biplab Dev.

The development capped a day marked by rampant speculation regarding fissures within the ruling BJP and Jannayak Janata Party (JJP) coalition in Haryana, particularly concerning seat-sharing arrangements ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

The outgoing cabinet consisted of 14 ministers, including Khattar and three members from the JJP led by Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala. All of them tendered their resignations together.

Source: India Today