Haryana Crisis: Manohar Lal Khattar Quits, Meet Nayab Singh Saini, Set To Be New CM

As Governor Bandaru Dattatreya has accepted the resignations, a new government is expected to be formed in the state by today itself.

Haryana political crisis intensifies as Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar along with his cabinet resigned from their positions on Tuesday.  Nayab Singh Saini is set to become the next Chief Minister of Haryana. As Governor Bandaru Dattatreya has accepted the resignations, a new government is expected to be formed in the state by today itself.

Meet New Haryana CM: Nayab Singh Saini 

Haryana BJP chief Nayab Singh Saini is set to be the new Chief Minister of Haryana. He is also a close aide to Khattar. Saini briefly worked for the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS), where he became close to Khattar, before joining the BJP.

Saini, born on January 25, 1970, in Ambala district, is a law graduate and shares a longstanding relationship with Khattar dating back to their Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) days. He previously served as a minister of state for labor and employment (independent charge) in the Khattar cabinet from 2014 to 2019 and contested the Lok Sabha elections in 2019, securing victory from the Kurukshetra seat by a significant margin.

Saini's rise within the state BJP ranks has been steady, holding various positions such as district president and general secretary of the state BJP Kisan Morcha. He became an MLA from the Naraingarh assembly segment in 2014 and successfully defended his seat in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

Saini's appointment as the state BJP chief in October last year was seen as a strategic move to consolidate support among the OBC community and non-Jat voters, according to PTI. With the Jat community's allegiance divided among various political parties, including the Congress, Jannayak Janta Party (JJP), and Indian National Lok Dal (INLD), Saini's selection is seen as an attempt to counter anti-incumbency sentiments against the Khattar government.

His elevation to the chief ministerial position follows a similar pattern to Khattar's selection in 2014, bypassing other senior leaders within the party. Anil Vij, a veteran six-term MLA, is the senior-most minister in the outgoing Khattar cabinet.

Haryana Political Crisis

At a time when political circles in Haryana are abuzz with speculations about the BJP terminating its coalition with the Jannayak Janta Party (JJP), Khattar convened a meeting with BJP and government-aligned independent MLAs at his residence earlier today.

Following this, he proceeded to Raj Bhavan and tendered his resignation to the Governor. Meanwhile, JJP leader Dushyant Chautala summoned a gathering of his party's MLAs in Delhi.

Several media reports indicate that Chautala is poised to make significant decisions, given that the BJP is unwilling to concede seats to him. The JJP aims to nominate its candidates for the Hisar and Bhiwani-Mahendragarh Lok Sabha constituencies. However, it must be noted that the incumbent MP from Hisar, Brijendra Singh, defected from the BJP to join the Congress on Sunday.