Haryana is witnessing political turmoil after the BJP-JJP alliance on Tuesday formally broke down with Manohar Lal Khattar's resignation as the state's CM along with his cabinet. With India all set to undergo the Lok Sabha Polls, Manohar Lal Khattar's resignation sparked a massive row, and cracks between the BJP and Dushyant Chautala-led JJP became visible. Now, reports suggest that Haryana BJP President Nayab Singh Saini will be the next Chief Minister of the state. BJP MLA Rajesh Nagar addressing the media informed that "Nayab Singh Saini will be the new CM (Haryana). Manohar Lal Khattar himself proposed his (Saini's) name." Now, the question arises who is Nayab Singh Saini, Haryana's New CM?
Who is Nayab Singh Saini?
Nayab Singh Saini is the Haryana BJP President and MP from Kurukshetra. Nayab hails from the OBC community and he was appointed as the state president of Haryana BJP in October 2023. Saini is considered a confidante of Manohar Lal Khattar, former CM of Harayana.
Nayab Saini's journey within the BJP began in 1996, when he started within the Haryana BJP's organisational framework, working alongside the sate general secretary until 2000. His dedication to the party led him to hold various significant positions, including state general secretary of the BJP Kisan Morcha in Haryana in 2009 and district President of Ambala BJP in 2012. During the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Nayab Singh Saini defeated his nearest rival Nirmal Singh who belonged to the Congress party from the Kurukshetra constituency with a margin of over 3.83 lakh votes.
Why did the BJP-JJP alliance break in Haryana?
As per reports, the JJP was demanding 1 to 2 Lok Sabha seats in Haryana, whereas BJP's central leadership and state organization are in favor of contesting all 10 seats themselves. This is the possible reason for the breakdown. CM Manohar Lal Khattar reached Raj Bhavan in Chandigarh on Tuesday and tendered collective resignation along with the cabinet. There are also discussions about changing the CM face in Haryana.
JJP National General Secretary and Haryana Deputy CM Dushyant Chautala met BJP National President JP Nadda in Delhi on Monday. After this, CM Manohar Lal Khattar called an emergency meeting in Chandigarh on Monday night and again at 11 am on Tuesday. All the ministers, MLAs, and independent MLAs supporting the government participated in it.
A report suggests that the population of the Saini caste is considered around 8% in Haryana with a sizable presence in pockets of Kurukshetra, Yamunanagar, Ambala, Hisar, and Rewari districts.