Nayab Singh Saini, the OBC leader of BJP, was sworn in as the new Chief Minister of Haryana on Thursday. The swearing-in ceremony took place in Panchkula and was graced by the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, along with other prominent BJP leaders and NDA partners.
Haryana Governor Bandaru Dattatreya administered the oath of office and secrecy to Saini, marking his second term as the Chief Minister of the state.
The ceremony was attended by Union Minister and BJP President J P Nadda, as well as Union ministers Rajnath Singh, Chirag Paswan, and Rajiv Ranjan Singh. Chief ministers from various BJP-ruled states, including Yogi Adityanath from Uttar Pradesh, also participated in the event.
Saini’s cabinet ministers were also sworn in during the ceremony, bringing the total number of ministers in Haryana to 14, including the Chief Minister.
The choice of day for the swearing-in ceremony held significance as it coincided with Valmiki Jayanti. Valmiki, the sage-poet and author of the Hindu epic Ramayana, is a revered figure, particularly among Dalits.
Prior to the ceremony, Nayab Singh Saini visited Valmiki Bhawan, offered prayers at a gurdwara, and visited the Mansa Devi temple in Panchkula.
Speaking to the media, Saini expressed his commitment to leading Haryana towards progress under the guidance of PM Modi in his new role as the Chief Minister.
In the Haryana assembly polls held on October 5, BJP secured an unprecedented third term by winning 48 out of the 90 seats. Saini, 54, who had previously replaced Manohar Lal Khattar as the Chief Minister in March, won the Ladwa assembly seat in Kurukshetra district with a significant margin of 16,054 votes.