RSS veteran leader Manohar Lal Khattar is next Haryana Chief Minister

New Delhi: Manohar Lal Khattar was on Tuesday unanimously elected Leader of the BJP Legislature Party, paving the way for his becoming the first Chief Minister of the BJP in Haryana.

60-year-old Mr. Khattar is also the first Punjabi to become the Chief Minister of the State.

He was elected at a meeting of 47 newly elected MLAs at the Chandigarh UT Guest House, party Vice President Dinesh Sharma, who attended the meeting along with Parliamentary Affairs Minister Venkaiah Naidu as central observers, told reporters.

Mr. Khattar, a first-time MLA, has worked as an RSS Pracharak for 40 long years. Born in Rohtak district, he had contested the Assembly elections from Karnal. He won the Karnal seat with a margin of 63,736 votes.

Mr. Sharma said that the date of swearing-in ceremony of the party’s first government would be announced soon. Another aspirant for the post of Chief Minister Haryana BJP President Ram Bilas Sharma told reporters that he had proposed Mr. Khattar’s name, which was seconded by several MLAs including another aspirant Abhimanyu and Prem Lata (wife of Birender Singh who joined the BJP from Congress recently).

Mr. Sharma said that they would meet Governor Kaptan Singh Solanki to stake claim for formation of the government. BJP leader and Chandigarh MP Kirron Kher was also present at the meeting.

A prominent RSS leader for over 40 years, Khattar is a close aide of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Khattar will take oath as Haryana CM on October 26.

“I assure people of Haryana that I will work for development of the state according to BJP policies and Modiji's vision,” said Khattar, shortly after being announced Chief Minister.