Nayab Saini sworn in as Haryana CM, 5 others also given berth in cabinet

Nayab Singh Saini, the BJP state president, became Haryana’s new Chief Minister on March 12 following the resignation of Manohar Lal Manohar Lal and his cabinet. Alongside him, four BJP stalwarts, Kanwar Pal, Dr. Banwari Lal, JP Dalal, Moolchand Sharma, and Ranjeet Singh Chautala, an independent MLA, were also sworn in as members of the state cabinet. The oath-taking ceremony was conducted by Haryana governor Bandaru Dattatrey at the Raj Bhawan. Saini, known for his allegiance to former CM Manohar Lal, was appointed as the state president of Haryana BJP on October 27, 2023, which replaced OP Dhankar and sparked political speculation.

Former BJP ally JJP’s minister Devendra Babli also attended the ceremony, signaling new political dynamics ahead of the polls after the BJP and JJP parted ways. With a maximum of 14 ministers allowed in the state cabinet, including 10 cabinet ministers and 4 ministers of state, there is keen competition among BJP and independent MLAs, who support the ruling BJP, for the remaining ministerial posts. However, selecting MLAs for the cabinet will be challenging for BJP given the numerous contenders vying for the positions.

Several independent MLAs, including Dharampal Gondar, Randhir Golan, Gopal Kanda, Rakesh Daulatabad, Ranjit Singh Chautala, Somveer Sangwan, and Nayanpal Rawat, are seeking ministerial positions. To form government in the 90-seat assembly, a party needs the support of 46 MLAs. In the Haryana assembly, BJP holds 42 seats, while Congress and JJP have 10 each, with 7 independents. The BJP formed the government with the backing of 7 independent MLAs after parting ways with JJP. Although BJP and JJP have separated, the presence of many JJP MLAs at the swearing-in ceremony sparked discussions. However, internal conflicts within JJP persist, as many MLAs were denied ministerial appointments following the formation of the BJP-JJP coalition government in 2019. Notably, JJP MLAs, including Devendra Singh Babli, Ishwar Singh Singh, Ramniwas Surjakheda, and Jogiram Sihag, were present at the swearing-in ceremony.