Khattar Quits, Haryana BJP Chief is New CM

New Delhi: In a dramatic turn of events just weeks ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar resigned on Tuesday morning and was replaced by OBC leader Nayab Singh Saini. Along with the new Chief Minister, five ministers also took the oath on Tuesday evening. The new government will prove its majority in the Assembly on Wednesday.

Kurukshetra MP and BJP state unit president Nayab Singh Saini was administered oath by Governor Bandaru Dattatreya at the oath-taking ceremony held at the Raj Bhawan here after submitting a letter of support from 48 MLAs to the Governor. Five MLAs -- four from the BJP and one independent -- were also sworn in as ministers.

Congratulating Saini, Prime Minister Narendra Modi wished him and his team the “very best for their efforts in fulfilling the aspirations of the people of Haryana”.

The political development took place a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised Khattar for working towards realising the vision of a “Viksit Haryana-Viksit Bharat”.

The BJP continued with its well thought and so far successful strategy of a non-Jat chief minister in a Jat-dominated state to consolidate non-Jat votes. Khattar, a Punjabi, was the first non-Jat chief minister of the state since 2014 till his resignation. The new Chief Minister is considered close to Khattar and their relationship goes back to their RSS days.

According to sources, this move was a follow-up of deliberations with the Dushyant Chautala-led JJP and the BJP top brass failing to resolve differences over seat-sharing issues. The BJP state unit, sources said, was also in favour of going solo. Chautala was the deputy CM in the Khattar government and the new government is unlikely to have a deputy CM post.

Reacting to the change, Chautala said he would continue working for the rights of the people of the state and his party’s efforts for social and economic security of people of Haryana will continue. At least five JJP MLAs are said to be in touch with the BJP. The JJP is likely to hold a rally in Hisar on Wednesday, where its leaders are expected to talk about the party’s plan of action after the big development in state politics.

In the current state Assembly, the BJP has 41 MLAs and has support of six Independents and Haryana Lokhit Party’s Gopal Kanda. Also, five of the 10 JJP MLAs are said to be in touch with the BJP. The main Opposition Congress has 30 MLAs in the 90-member Assembly.

Sources said it was a strategic decision taken by the BJP top brass to make the entire Khattar government resign, including deputy CM Dushyant Chautala, in a clear-cut message to the JJP. Asking only Chautala to resign otherwise would have sent a wrong message to his vote-bank, the Jats, who have been backing the BJP in UP but get split among the Congress and INLD in Haryana. Khattar is also likely to contest the Lok Sabha polls. The BJP, sources said, was getting feedback that changing Khattar, who has been CM since 2014, could also boost its chances in the Assembly polls scheduled by the end of this year.

The ministers in the new government were part of the Khattar team. Speculation is rife that Khattar will contest the coming Lok Sabha polls from Karnal.

With nearly 20 per cent of Haryana’s population consisting of Jats, the BJP again gave a non-Jat CM, whose community -- a sub-caste of the OBC clan – comprises less than three per cent of the state’s population. OBCs are more than 40 per cent of the state’s population. Sainis are also a large group in neighbouring Uttar Pradesh.

Sources said the JJP’s demand to contest two of the 10 Lok Sabha seats in the state was one of the main issues behind the BJP’s decision behind the leadership change. The BJP had won all 10 parliamentary seats in 2019. The JJP had then fought the Lok Sabha polls in alliance with the AAP.

Also, the BJP’s “experiment” of promoting a non-Jat CM in Haryana will again find it favour among non-Jat castes, as per its own feedback. Sources said a section within the BJP had been demanding a leadership change for some time now, citing aggressive wooing of Jats by the Congress, INLD and the JJP. However, a majority within the BJP was in favour of wooing the non-Jats. With the leadership change, the BJP is also hoping to counter “anti-incumbency”.

Earlier during the day, after the BJP decision for the change in leadership, followed by Khattar and his government's resignation, the BJP legislature party met in Chandigarh and chose Saini, 54, as its leader. From the central leadership, Union minister Arjun Munda, state in-charge Biplab Dev and national general secretary Tarun Chugh were present. The new CM and ministers were administered the oath of office by Governor Bandaru Dattatreya. BJP workers and leaders were heard shouting “Jai Shri Ram” after the new CM was administered the oath of office. However, senior leader and former state home minister Anil Vij was conspicuous by his absence from the swearing-in venue amid rumours that he is not happy with the choice of the new CM.

Reacting to this development, Congress MP Deepender Hooda claimed it was because “the public has decided to bring change” and that the “public was upset with the Khattar government”. He also claimed that development was a “well-planned drama that was scripted six months ago”.

Taking a dig at the BJP, another Congress leader, Kumari Selja, said the BJP needs to explain why its alliance broke.

“You are going around the country making alliances… you (BJP-JJP) were in power and now you want to prove yourself clean by changing the CM… The people of Haryana have seen your misgovernance… the alternative is the Congress and the people of Haryana are looking towards us.”