The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is poised to form the government in Haryana for the third consecutive term, with the swearing-in ceremony expected to take place on October 15. A 10-member committee, led by the Panchkula District Commissioner, has been established by the chief secretary to oversee the arrangements for the ceremony.
Nayab Singh Saini met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other senior BJP leaders in Delhi on Wednesday, solidifying his position as the likely new Chief Minister following the party’s victory in the assembly elections. Saini also held discussions with Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, the BJP’s election in-charge for Haryana, on Thursday.
Saini, who succeeded Manohar Lal Khattar as Chief Minister in March and represents the Other Backward Classes, was indicated as the BJP’s choice for the top post during the elections. The party achieved a historic win, securing 48 seats—11 more than the Congress—while the JJP and AAP saw significant losses, and the INLD managed just two seats.
A BJP leader confirmed that the swearing-in is likely to be held after the Dussehra festival on October 12. Notably, eight of the ten ministers in the outgoing cabinet faced defeat in the recent elections, with only Mahipal Dhanda and Mool Chand Sharma emerging victorious from Panipat Rural and Ballabhgarh, respectively.
Both Dhanda, from the Jat community, and Sharma, a senior Brahmin leader, are being considered for ministerial positions in the new government, which can include up to 14 ministers, including the Chief Minister.
The BJP’s success is attributed to its ability to overcome anti-incumbency sentiments, making significant inroads into Dalit constituencies and Jat strongholds while maintaining dominance in the Ahirwal region. The party won eight out of 17 Scheduled Caste (SC) seats in Haryana.
Prominent Dalit leaders in consideration for ministerial roles include Krishan Lal Panwar, who won from Israna, and former MLA Krishan Kumar, victorious from Narwana. In the Ahirwal region, the BJP claimed ten of eleven seats, with many candidates closely associated with Union Minister Rao Inderjit Singh.
Rao’s daughter, Arti Singh Rao, who won from the Ateli seat, is also a potential ministerial candidate. Other notable contenders include Om Prakash Yadav from Narnaul, Rao Narbir Singh from Badshahpur, and several women candidates such as Kiran Choudhry’s daughter Shruti, Shakti Rani Sharma from Kalka, and independents like Savitri Jindal from Hisar, who have pledged support for the new government.
Additional candidates vying for ministerial roles include Anil Vij (Ambala Cantt), Shyam Singh Rana (Radaur), Jagmohan Anand (Karnal), Harvinder Kalyan (Gharaunda), Krishan Lal Middha (Jind), Arvind Kumar Sharma (Gohana), Vipul Goel (Faridabad), Nikhil Madaan (Sonipat), and Ghanshyam Dass (Yamunanagar), with Devender Attri, who won from Uchana Kalan, also a probable candidate.
As the BJP prepares to take the reins again, the political landscape in Haryana is set for another significant chapter.
