CHANDIGARH: Nayab Singh Saini was sworn in as Haryana CM on Thursday for the second time, at a ceremony at Panchkula, near state capital Chandigarh, attended by PM Narendra Modi, defence minister Rajnath Singh, home minister Amit Shah, several Central ministers and CMs of many BJP-ruled states.
A large crowd at the Dussehra Ground watched Haryana governor Bandaru Dattatreya administering the oath of office to the low-profile OBC leader and 13 others.
Those sworn in as ministers include Anil Vij, Krishan Lal Panwar, Rao Narbir Singh Mahipal Dhanda, Vipul Goel, Arvind Sharma, Shyam Singh Rana, Ranbir Gangwa, Krishan Bedi, Shruti Chaudhary, Arti Singh Rao, Gaurav Gautam and Rajesh Nagar. While 11 of them were inducted as cabinet ministers, Gaurav Gautam and Rajesh Nagar were made ministers of state (independent charge). Anil Vij took oath of office immediately after Saini, signalling that he was at no. 2 position in the new govt.
Congratulating Saini and his ministers on their swearing-in, Modi described the team as a wonderful mix of good governance and experience. “This govt will realise the dreams of people and take state’s development to a new high,” he posted on X in Hindi. Saini also thanked the people of Haryana for their mandate and the PM for his “inspirational leadership.”
“With full majority for the third time, the BJP govt will work with full energy for good governance, equality and welfare of the poor,” the CM posted on X. Portfolios of the newly inducted ministers are expected to be allotted on Friday when the first cabinet meeting has been called.
Both the women ministers in Saini cabinet come from political dynasties of Haryana, as both their grandfathers served as CMs. While Shruti Chaudhary is granddaughter of former Haryana CM Bansi Lal, Arti Singh Rao is the granddaughter of former CM Rao Birender Singh. Shruti’s mother Kiran Chaudhary is Rajya Sabha MP and Arti’s father Rao Inderjeet Singh is a Gurgaon BJP MP and a Union minister. The three independents, Savitri Jindal from Hisar, Devender Kadian from Ganaur and Rajesh Joon from Bahadurgarh, had backed the BJP, but didn’t make it. Even Ram Kumar Gautam, who had been elected from Safidon and was seen as a strong contender, did not get one.
While two ministers each have been taken from Faridabad and Panipat districts, Panchkula, Kaithal Karnal, Dadri, Rohtak, Jhajjar and Rewari have remained unrepresented as the party failed to open its account in Sirsa, Fatehabad and Mewat this time. One minister each has been inducted from Ambala, Yamunanagar, Kurukshetra, Sonipat, Jind, Hisar, Bhiwani, Mahendergarh, Gurgaon and Palwal districts.
Two of the ministers are OBCs, two SCs, two Jats, two Yadavs, two Brahmins while one each from Rajput, Gujjar and Vaishya (Bania) communities has been given representation in the cabinet.
Saini visited Valmiki Bhawan and offered prayers at a gurdwara and the Mansa Devi temple in Panchkula.