Nayab Singh Saini Swears in as the Chief Minister of Haryana; PM Modi, HM Amit Shah in Attendance

Nayab Singh Saini was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Haryana for the second time during a grand ceremony held at Parade Ground in Panchkula on Thursday. The event was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Saini replaced Manohar Lal Khattar earlier this year, after first taking office in March. His reappointment comes after BJP's electoral victory clinching a record third consecutive term in Haryana.

The ceremony was witnessed by around 50,000 attendees, including opposition leaders and representatives from various social organizations. In addition to Saini, several other BJP leaders were sworn in as ministers, including Anil Vij, Krishan Lal Panwar, and Rao Narbir Singh. According to Article 164 (1A) of the Constitution, the Haryana council of ministers can have a maximum of 13 members, including the Chief Minister. Saini offered prayers at the Valmiki Temple before the ceremony, honoring Maharishi Valmiki Jayanti, which he described as a significant occasion that aligns with his vision for societal progress.

Immediately after the oath-taking ceremony, a meeting of chief ministers and deputy CMs from the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) was scheduled to discuss key development issues and strategy for the upcoming elections. This gathering, which includes 13 chief ministers and 16 deputy CMs, aims to solidify the NDA’s position against opposition alliances.

Nayab Singh Saini’s political journey spans nearly three decades. Born in 1970, he began his political career under the mentorship of Khattar and was first elected as an MLA in 2014. His significant rise came when he won a Lok Sabha seat in Kurukshetra in 2019. In the recent conducted assembly elections, BJP secured 48 out of 90 seats in the Haryana assembly, while the Congress won 37. Parties like the JJP and AAP struggled to gain traction, and the once-dominant INLD was reduced to just two seats. Saini himself won the Ladwa constituency by a margin of over 16,000 votes against Congress candidate Mewa Singh. Notably, the BJP flipped eight out of 17 seats reserved for Scheduled Castes.​