Khattar takes oath as CM today, Dushyant as deputy
BJP dumps controversial Haryana Lokhit Party leader Gopal Kanda
CHANDIGARH: Manohar Lal Khattar, a low profile non-Jat leader with deep RSS roots, will be sworn in as Haryana’s chief minister for a historic second consecutive term at Raj Bhawan on Sunday at 2.15pm. The simple ceremony will be loaded with symbolism, coinciding with the festival of lights — the Deepavali.
Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) leader Dushyant Chautala, 31, the great grandson of Haryana’s towering Jat leader and former deputy prime minister late Devi Lal, will take oath of the post of deputy chief minister.
In the wake of no party getting simple majority in October 21 Haryana assembly elections and the BJP with 40 seats emerging as the single largest party short of six MLAs to cross the magical halfway mark in the 90-member Vidhan Sabha, the party on Friday evening stitched an alliance with the JJP. The JJP, which was formed in December 2018, is a breakaway faction of Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) that was founded by Ch Devi Lal and now being headed by former chief minister Om Prakash Chautala, the grandfather of Dushyant Chautala.
The swearing-in ceremony will be held at Haryana Raj Bhawan here where governor Satyadeo Narain Arya will administer the oath to Khattar at 2.15pm sharp.
Besides the JJP having 10 MLAs, seven independent MLAs have also extended unconditional support to the BJP. The
Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, who was here as a party observer, categorically said the party would not take support from Haryana Lokhit Party’s controversial MLA Gopal Kanda.
Whether the ministers will also be sworn in on Sunday was unclear till late evening even as the CM-designate Khattar kept this issue close to his chest. But, he didn’t rule out the chances of MLAs of the BJP-JJP collation also taking oath as ministers on Sunday.
“This (inducting Cabinet ministers) will be known on Sunday. As of now I as CM and Dushyant as deputy CM will take oath…” Khattar said after meeting Governor Satyadeo Narain Arya, who invited him to form the government. The cabinet is expected to have a blend of new and old faces. Apart from Khattar and his deputy CM, the govt can have 12 ministers. As eight ministers in the outgoing BJP government lost the election, Khattar has enough elbow room to pick his new team with fresh faces.
The May 5, 1954 born bachelor and Delhi University graduate Khattar was elected for the first time as MLA in 2014 when he was sworn in on October 26, 2014 as first BJP CM.
Earlier, Khattar was unanimously elected as leader of the BJP Legislature Party at a meeting held here at UT Guest House, adjoining to Raj Bhawan. His name was proposed by the BJP’s six time legislator Anil Vij and former speaker Kanwar Pal. Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, who was central observer of the party, said all the BJP MLAs seconded the resolution “unanimously.”
Khattar arrived here from New Delhi on Saturday morning to attend the BJP legislature party meeting, which was also attended by BJP general secretary Arun Singh and Haryana BJP incharge Dr Anil Jain.
“We will give a stable, honest and able government again to develop Haryana further,” Prasad said after announcing that Khattar was elected BJP legislature party leader.
Later, BJP and JJP leaders along with seven independents met governor to stake claim for forming the government with the support of 57 MLAs — BJP 40, JJP 10 and seven independents.
The CM-designate Khattar too promised to again give “clean and honest administration.”
And his deputy Dushyant said: “Two parties with progressive thinking and ideas will take Haryana forward by providing a stable government.”
CHANDIGARH: A litany of celebrations has already unfolded in the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP’s) Haryana unit with Manohar Lal Khattar-led government starting its second innings on Sunday.
While there is a sense of disquiet among foot soldiers of the Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) for embracing the BJP, political observers are debating whether Khattar can surmount the innumerable challenges his government will face in the second term, including dealing with the ambitious coalition partner, the JJP.
In the run up to October 21 assembly elections, the JJP banked on the support of Jats who were angry with the BJP.
JAT VOTES MARRED BJP’S PROSPECTS OF GAINING MAJORITY
It was the result of Jat community voters’ open support to the JJP and the Congress that halted the BJP’s march towards crossing the halfway mark in the 90-member Vidhan Sabha.
In 2014, the BJP had come to power for the first time winning 47 seats. This time, it won 40 seats, while the JJP got 10 MLAs.
Most of the JJP legislators scripted the defeat of BJP’s top guns.
Former finance minister
Capt Abhimanyu and state BJP chief Subhash Barala suffered humiliating defeats at the hands of JJP candidates.
The immediate challenge before the JJP is how to blunt the Congress’ attack which has described JJP’s truck with the BJP as an unholy alliance and brewing anger among its core support base — the Jats.
As per reports, Jats in the hinterland are surprised with Dushyant’s decision who on Saturday said his party also contested election against the Congress.
DUSHYANT’S VEILED ATTACK ON HOODA
“Haryana Congress is in the hands of a leader who ruled the state for 10 years and sold 63,000 acre land,” Dushyant said in a veiled attack on Bhupinder Singh Hooda.
“Supporting the Congress would have meant going against the wishes of jannayak Chaudhary Devi Lal, who had left the Congress before 1977,” he added.
However, Jats in the villages are unconvinced.
Their common grouse is that they backed the Congress and the JJP for their winnability quotient. Now, they say, the JJP joining hands with the BJP is tantamount to stabbing Jats in the back. Analysts say the first challenge before the straightforward Khattar will be to tackle delicately the emboldened JJP.
The financial state of Haryana is not in pink of health, its agricultural and industrial growth is sluggish and the aspirations of the youth are soaring.
‘CHANCES OF JJP ARM TWISTING BJP BLEAK’
Analysts say as the BJP has support of seven independents, chances of the JJP indulging in arm twisting its senior coalition partner are bleak.
“The BJP has independents to silence the JJP and the JJP to tackle the ambitious independents,” a political analyst said.
It is the combination of using the JJP to checkmate independents and vice versa that prompted the BJP to drop like a hot potato the decision to seek support of controversial MLA Gopal Kanda, who was hoping to be a kingmaker.
JJP’s poll symbol is the key. And Dushyant, who outfoxed the experienced INLD supremo and his grandfather OP Chautala, knows the tricks of using the key tactfully.
KEY CHALLENGES
AHEAD OF KHATTAR ARE IMPROVING STATE’S FINANCES, AGRARIAN AND INDUSTRIAL GROWTH WHILE MEETING EXPECTATIONS OF THE YOUTH