Nayab Singh Saini to take oath as Haryana Chief Minister, PM Modi to attend ceremony

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Nayab Singh Saini is all set to be sworn in as the Chief Minister of Haryana for a second term on Oct 17, following the party's remarkable third consecutive victory in the recent assembly elections.

The oath ceremony will be held at 10 AM at the parade ground in Panchkula. Key political leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Ministers of various BJP-ruled states, are expected to attend the ceremony, sources were quoted as saying.

Saini will be formally elected as the leader of the BJP's legislative party in a meeting before the ceremony. A 10-member committee led by the Panchkula district commissioner has been set up by the state chief secretary to oversee the arrangements for the oath ceremony.

During the recently concluded electoral campaign, the BJP indicated that Saini, who succeeded Manohar Lal Khattar as Chief Minister in March, would be its candidate for the top position if the party secured a win.

His representation of the Other Backward Classes (OBCs), a significant demographic in Haryana, further strengthened his appeal to voters.

Saini and other newly-elected BJP MLAs convened a meeting with senior party leaders in Delhi including Prime Minister Modi, BJP president Amit Shah, and Union Minister JP Nadda earlier this week.

The BJP achieved a remarkable success in Haryana by defying a decade-long anti-incumbency sentiment and countering pollsters, which predicted a landslide victory for Congress.

The party secured 48 out of 90 assembly seats. The Congress party, which was anticipating a comeback, managed to secure 37 seats.

After parting ways with the BJP in March 2024, the Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) suffered significant losses, while Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party failed to win any seats. The Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) won merely two seats, and three independents, including Savitri Jindal, also entered the Assembly pledging support to the BJP.