Nayab Singh Saini took the oath of office as the Chief Minister of Haryana for a second consecutive term on Thursday, following the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) victory in the Haryana Assembly elections. The BJP secured 48 out of 90 seats, marking an unprecedented third term for the party in the state.
Haryana Governor Bandaru Dattatreya administered the swearing-in ceremony, which was held at the Shalimar Ground in Panchkula. Several top BJP leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, attended the event.
Before the ceremony, Saini visited the Valmiki Temple in Panchkula on the occasion of Maharishi Valmiki Jayanti, where he offered prayers. He expressed his gratitude, saying, “It is my good fortune that today is the birth anniversary of Lord Valmiki, who worked to end societal evils and gave a strong message to society.” Saini also extended his best wishes to the people of Haryana on this auspicious day.
In addition to the Valmiki Temple, Saini visited the Mansa Devi Temple ahead of his swearing-in.
On Wednesday, Nayab Singh Saini staked his claim to form the next government after being unanimously elected as the leader of the BJP legislature party in a meeting held at the party office in Panchkula. He had earlier met Governor Dattatreya to officially present his claim.
The swearing-in ceremony was a grand affair, with nearly 50,000 people in attendance, according to media reports. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and several Union Ministers, including Rajnath Singh, Chirag Paswan, and Ramdas Athawale, were among the top attendees.
BJP President JP Nadda, senior party leaders, and chief ministers from various states, including Goa’s Pramod Sawant, Chhattisgarh’s Vishnu Deo Sai, and Maharashtra’s Devendra Fadnavis, were also present. NDA allies and leaders from various social organizations were in attendance, as well as “progressive farmers” and “Lakhpati Didis” from different parts of the state.
The event saw heightened security measures, with 14 LED screens set up at the venue to ensure attendees could witness the oath-taking ceremony. A traffic advisory was also issued for the event to ensure smooth movement around the venue.
In the recently concluded Haryana Assembly elections, held on October 5, the BJP won 48 seats, securing a third consecutive term in power. The Congress party emerged as the principal opposition, securing 37 seats.
Despite a challenging political environment, Saini’s rise from Haryana BJP president to Chief Minister earlier this year helped steer the party through the election, overcoming factors such as anti-incumbency, farmers’ issues, unemployment, inflation, and public discontent over the Agnipath scheme.
Saini, an OBC leader who won from the Ladwa seat in Kurukshetra district, replaced former Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar in March. His leadership during the two-month window between his appointment and the election helped shape the BJP’s public image leading to its victory.
