New Delhi:

Nayab Singh Saini will be sworn in as the Chief Minister of Haryana at 10 am October 17, in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and senior leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party, including Mr Saini’s counterparts from other BJP-ruled states, sources said Saturday.

This will be Mr Saini’s second term; his first began March after Manohar Lal Khattar quit to contest the Lok Sabha election. Mr Saini was seen then as a surprise pick to head the party in the heartland state, particularly with a general and Assembly election on the horizon.

Following the election there was speculation – and amid rumours of an ineffective government and in view of caste equations – he would be replaced, but BJP sources said that having played a key role in the party’s big win, Mr Saini would be given a second shot.

He was first picked for this post about 200 days before the election; his selection was prompted partly by Mr Khattar standing down (and getting a Lok Sabha seat in exchange) and also the BJP’s traditional pre-poll leadership shuffle to ward of anti-incumbency.

READ | BJP To Stay With Nayab Saini As Haryana Chief Minister: Sources

Some state leaders argued for Mr Saini, saying he had implemented schemes meant to benefit traders, youths, backward classes and government employees, turning around the anti-incumbency accumulated over the years against Mr Khattar’s government.

The next step for the BJP will be deciding the Haryana Cabinet.

There can be a maximum of 14 ministers, including the Chief Minister. That leaves 13 positions, of which the BJP will need at least 11 new faces because only Mahipal Dhanda and Mool Chand Sharma, from the first Saini government, managed to retain their seats.

Balancing caste equations and communities’ demands while forming a government is not easy, but the BJP has done successfully in the recent past, and it will have to be done again in Haryana.

READ | After Haryana Win, Caste Equations That May Influence BJP’s Cabinet Picks

The BJP recorded an (ultimately) convincing victory in the 2024 Haryana Assembly election, counting for which was held on Tuesday. Exit polls predicted a clear win for the Congress and the opposition party raced into an early lead. But by 10 am the tables had turned.

The BJP eventually won 48 of the state’s 90 seats for a historic third straight Assembly election victory; Haryana had never before elected the same party three times running.

The Congress finished with 37 seats – six more than it won in 2014 but a poor return considering the party was supposed to win at least 55, well over the majority mark of 46.

READ | “First Time In Haryana A Party Is Coming Back For 3rd Term”: PM

Speaking in Delhi after the Haryana election win, Prime Minister Modi lavished praise on party workers and followers and lashed out at the Congress, which he called, among other things, a “parasitic party” that wins only when powered by its alliance partner.

READ | “Arrogant, Overconfident”: Allies Twist Knife On Congress’ Haryana Loss

The Congress has come under heavy fire from its INDIA bloc allies after the Haryana election win, with the Shiv Sena (UBT) particularly scathing. The Congress and the Thackeray Sena are expected to contest next month’s Maharashtra election together.

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New Delhi:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi – fresh from celebrating a comeback win in the Haryana election Tuesday evening – was back firing barbs at the Congress this morning, accusing his rival of being an “irresponsible party” and labelling it a “factory to spread hatred”. The Congress, he raged, wants to “create fear among Muslims” so it gets minority community votes. “BJP has won the Haryana election… but in Maharashtra we have to get a bigger victory,” the PM declared as he launched his party’s next poll campaign.

The BJP’s “historic” win – it became the first party to win three consecutive terms in the heartland state – “shows the mood of the country”, he said as he inaugurated infra projects in poll-bound Maharashtra, where his party is allied with factions of the Shiv Sena and NCP.

“The Congress is doing politics of hatred… Congress is bent on destroying the country. We all have to be aware and cautious. I am sure the people of Maharashtra will give a befitting reply to all forces bent on destroying the society,” Mr Modi said via a video link.

“I am sure the people of Maharashtra will unite and vote for the BJP and the Mahayuti government (referring to the BJP-Sena-NCP trio headed by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde).”

READ | “First Time In Haryana Party Is Coming Back For 3rd Term”: PM Modi

Maharashtra (and Jharkhand) are scheduled to hold state elections this year. 

In the former the Congress’ poor showing in Haryana has invited scathing criticism from the Shiv Sena faction led by ex-Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, whose party is expected to sit down to discuss seat-sharing with its two allies – the Congress and Sharad Pawar’s NCP.

READ | “Arrogant, Overconfident”: Allies Twist  Knife On Congress’ Haryana Loss

The Congress’ Haryana and J&K results will not go down well in these talks.

Meanwhile, the PM also attacked the Congress for trying to “spread lies among the Dalits”, criticising the party for looking to “snatch reservation from them (the Dalits) and distribute them to their vote bank”.

“Entire ecosystem of Congress is about misleading the public. They tried to spread lies among Dalits but Dalits realised Congress will snatch reservations from them and distribute them to their vote bank. So Haryana Dalit community gave record support to BJP…”

READ | “Congress Minorities’ Biggest Enemy”: PM Flags “Key Issue” Of Quotas

The PM has frequently lashed out at the Congress on this issue – particularly in the run-up to the general election earlier this year – alleging it plans to tinker with existing quotas to benefit Muslims.

The Congress has just as frequently denied the allegation.

The Congress’ manifesto for the Lok Sabha election guaranteed increased reservation for marginalised groups, including Dalits, past the Supreme Court’s 50 per cent cap.

READ | “Its Best Friend…”: M Kharge On  BJP’s “Muslim League Imprint” Jab

That guarantee was slammed by the BJP as an “imprint of the Muslim League”.

In his speech the Prime Minister also accused the Congress of having “instigated” the farmers of Haryana, who joined their brethren from Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, and other states in their lakhs to protest against the centre’s farms laws and insist on legal backing for MSPs.

“Farmers of Haryana are happy with farmer-friendly schemes of BJP. Congress also tried to instigate youth. They all trust the BJP for a bright future… Haryana has shown they will not fall prey to the hatred conspiracies of the Congress and its urban Naxal allies…” the PM said.

With input from agencies

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New Delhi:

Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini visited Saini Samaj Dharamshala in Kurukshetra today, shortly before the counting of votes for the assembly election, and expressed confidence the BJP would retain power in the northern state.

Mr Saini contested the election from Ladwa constituency of Kurukshetra district. He said the BJP’s work on the development front in the last 10 years will ensure the party sails through this time, too.

The exit polls have forecast a Congress win in both Haryana and Jammu and Kashmir – though exit polls often get it wrong.

“We have done a lot of development work in the last 10 years. The kind of system set up by former Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar will continue to bring benefits for Haryana for a long time,” Mr Saini told reporters this morning.

“It is our responsibility to take this good work forward,” he added.

The Haryana assembly has 90 seats. Postal ballots will be counted first, followed by electronic voting machines (EVMs) 30 minutes later.

Haryana Chief Electoral Officer Pankaj Agarwal said 93 counting centres have been set up for the 90 assembly constituencies in 22 districts of Haryana.