Five reasons why Haryana has a new chief minister

Manohar Lal Khattar resigned, along with his cabinet on Tuesday and by evening, the new chief minister took oath. BJP state president Nayab Singh Saini is the new chief minister of Haryana and he will prove his majority in the state assembly Wednesday. Saini is Kurukshetra MP. It is now expected that Khattar will represent the BJP from Karnal in the Lok Sabha elections.

Apart from 41 BJP MLAs, Saini has claimed the support of six Independent MLAs and one Haryana Lokhit Party MLA (Gopal Kanda). Given that four Jannayak Janta Party MLAs attended Saini’s swearing-in ceremony, the new CM will most likely win the confidence motion in Haryana assembly by Wednesday afternoon.

With 48 MLAs in support, in an assembly where 45 MLAs confirms majority, there is little doubt over Saini’s victory. Devender Singh Babli, Ishwar Singh, Jogi Ram Sihag, and Ram Niwas Surjakhera were the JJP MLAs attending the swearing-in ceremony.

Since 2019, the JJP, led by Dushyant Chautala, had been a partner in Khattar’s cabinet and Chautala was the deputy chief minister. According to an Indian Express report, Dushyant Chautala now has only five MLAs in his support, including himself. Chautala’s mother Naina Chautala, Amarjeet Dhana, Anoop Dhanak, and Ram Karan Kala are the rest supporting MLAs who may attend JJP’s Hisar rally today.

Here’s why the state has a new CM, and JJP and BJP split just months ahead of the general elections:

1. The main issue was a lack of consensus over seat sharing between the parties (BJP and JJP) in the upcoming general elections. Seat-sharing for the Lok Sabha elections caused a rift between the BJP and JJP. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP secured all ten seats. Only a few months prior to the elections, the JJP broke away from the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) over a disagreement within the Chautala family. The party failed to receive any support. It was evident from the seat-sharing negotiations for the 2024 elections that the BJP had no intention of giving the JJP any ground.
2. Chautala’s hold in the Jat community would have weakened over past few months given several developments led by BJP. The wrestlers’ and farmers’ protests, followed by the way BJP responded to those protests, sent clear messages to the community. Chautala hopes to regain his hold over the community with the split.
3. BJP may hope to tackle the anti-incumbency against Khattar with a change in the face of the government.
4. Getting Saini at the head of the affairs also makes the government more inclusive. Saini comes from an OBC community, helping BJP in gathering OBC votes.
5. BJP hopes to consolidate non-Jat votes in the state during the general elections with the new change in face in the government. While JJP contesting the polls separately would mean a major chunk of Jat votes drifting away,