Haryana BJP president Nayab Singh Saini is set to become the next chief minister of Haryana, reported news agency ANI. The development comes shortly after Manohar Lal Khattar and his cabinet tendered resignation to Governor Bandaru Dattatreya. Saini will take oath as new Haryana CM at around 5 PM today.
“Nayab Singh Saini to be next CM of Haryana. All people are now going to meet the Governor…,” Haryana BJP MLA Krishan Lal Middha said.
Notably, Middha earlier today said all MLAs are supporting Khattar to become the CM.
“I think when the oath ceremony takes place today, Manohar Lal Khattar will take oath as CM again. I don’t want to comment on why this alliance (with JJP) broke. This is the decision of the party high command. Observers are coming and if they ask us, our support is with Manohar Lal Khattar and he will take oath as CM for the third time and then later after the assembly elections, he will take oath for the fourth time…,” Middha had said earlier.
The decision to appoint Saini as new Haryana chief minister was taken after a legislative party meeting of the BJP, which was attended by central observers, including Arjun Munda and Haryana in-charge Biplab Kumar Dev.
Earlier today, Khattar and his Cabinet tendered resignation after BJP ended its alliance with Dushyant Chautala’s JJP.
While there is no official word from either side on why the alliance broke, it is being said that things went wrong after seat-sharing talks between the BJP and Dushyant Chautala for Lok Sabha elections failed.
In last ditch efforts to save the alliance, Chautala on Monday met BJP national president JP Nadda. However, the meeting remained inconclusive, resulting in the split.
The BJP has 41 MLAs in the 90-member Haryana Legislative Assembly. The saffron party also enjoys support of five independents and Haryana Lokhit Party’s Gopal Kanda.