Nayab Singh Saini Takes Over as Haryana CM at 5 PM After ML Khattar Resigns

Nayab Singh Saini is set to assume the role of Chief Minister of Haryana, as announced by the party on Tuesday afternoon. This follows the resignation of his predecessor, senior BJP leader Manohar Lal Khattar, along with the entire cabinet.

A prominent figure within the Other Backward Classes (OBC) community, Nayab Saini currently serves as the BJP’s Lok Sabha MP from Kurukshetra and was appointed as the party’s state leader in October last year. His swearing-in ceremony is scheduled for 5 pm.

Saini’s selection came after a meeting of the BJP’s legislative party, during which Union Agriculture Minister Arjun Munda and National General Secretary Tarun Chugh conveyed the legislators’ desire for new leadership ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha election in April/May and the subsequent Assembly election later this year.

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The political landscape in Haryana underwent significant shifts over the weekend following the dissolution of the ruling BJP-JJP alliance due to failed negotiations over Lok Sabha seat-sharing. The JJP, led by former Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala, sought two out of the state’s 10 seats, but the BJP was only willing to concede one.

Rather than compromise on the second seat (all of which were won by the BJP in 2019) or risk alienating farmers and the Jat community, which accounts for around 20 percent of the population, the BJP chose to dissolve the government.

The removal of Mr. Khattar is also viewed as a strategic move to counteract potential anti-incumbency sentiments and address negative feedback from legislators, particularly with twin elections looming this year, in what is a crucial state for the BJP.