Who is Nayab Singh Saini, Haryana’s new chief minister?

BJP's Nayab Singh Saini, 54, was sworn in as the new Chief Minister of Haryana at a hurriedly-arranged ceremony in Chandigarh Tuesday evening, just hours afterManohar Lal Khattar, and the entire cabinet submitted their resignation.

Saini is seen as a confidante of the 69-year-old ML Khattar.

Earlier, Saini was elected as the BJP legislature party leader in Haryana setting the stage for him to take on the chief minister's responsibilities, succeeding Khattar, who submitted his resignation to Governor Bandaru Dattatreya.

Biplab Deb, BJP Haryana-in-charge, extended congratulations to Nayab Singh Saini in a post on X, expressing confidence that Saini would continue the developmental initiatives in Haryana initiated under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's guidance and Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar's leadership.

Manohar Lal Khattar resigned amid apparent fissures in the BJP-Jannayak Janata Party (JJP) ruling coalition. He submitted his resignation to Governor Bandaru Dattatreya ahead of the BJP's legislature party meeting.

A central BJP team, led by Union Minister Arjun Munda and former Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb, oversaw the changes in the state.

The relationship between BJP and JJP deteriorated due to the failure to reach a seat-sharing agreement for the Lok Sabha polls. Despite JJP snapping ties, the BJP claims to have the majority with 41 MLAs in the 90-member House, along with the support of six independents.

The opposition Congress holds 30 MLAs, while the Indian National Lok Dal and the Haryana Lokhit Party each have one seat.

Who is Nayab Singh Saini?

Nayab Singh Saini, a Lok Sabha MP from the Kurukshetra constituency hails from the OBC community, and had assumed the role of Haryana BJP state president in October last year.

His journey in the BJP began in 1996, progressing through various roles within the party's organisational framework.

Due to his unwavering commitment to the party, he assumed several prominent roles, such as serving as the state general secretary of the BJP Kisan Morcha in Haryana in 2009 and holding the position of district president of Ambala BJP in 2012.

His political trajectory reached new heights when he secured victory as a Member of the Legislative Assembly from the Narayangarh constituency in 2014. Subsequently, in 2016, he was appointed as a minister in the Haryana government, marking a pivotal moment in his political career.

Known as a confidante of Manohar Lal Khattar, Saini's elevation to the post of Haryana BJP chief and the chief minister now appears to be influenced by electoral and caste considerations, given his significant support in Haryana's various districts.

(With inputs from agencies)