Nayab Singh Saini of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Haryana for a second term on Thursday, October 17, 2024. This followed the BJP’s successful victory in the recently held Haryana Assembly elections. Thirteen legislators, including two women, were inducted into the new Cabinet. The swearing-in ceremony took place in Panchkula, where Haryana Governor Bandaru Dattatreya administered the oaths of office and secrecy.
Among those sworn in as ministers were Anil Vij, Arvind Kumar Sharma, Shyam Singh Rana, Ranbir Singh Gangwa, Krishan Bedi, Krishan Lal Panwar, Rao Narbir Singh, Mahipal Dhanda, Vipul Goel, Shruti Choudhry, Arti Singh Rao, Rajesh Nagar, and Gaurav Gautam.
Saini was unanimously chosen as the leader of the BJP’s legislature party, and the party leaders promptly claimed the right to form the next state government. The swearing-in coincided with ‘Valmiki Jayanti,’ which political analysts view as part of the BJP’s effort to bolster its pro-Dalit image.
During the election campaign, the BJP made a visible effort to connect with Dalit voters, and this paid off in the polls. The party increased its tally in the reserved seats for Scheduled Castes (SC), winning eight out of 17 reserved constituencies, up from five in 2019.
Senior BJP leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and several Chief Ministers from BJP-ruled states, attended the event. The BJP’s triumph in this election marks its third consecutive victory in Haryana, securing 48 of the 90 seats in the state assembly.
