Chandigarh:

Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini kept key departments, including home and finance, while Anil Vij got energy and transport as portfolios were allocated to the Council of Ministers on Sunday, three days after the swearing-in of a new government in the state.

Mr Saini will handle 12 portfolios. Besides home and finance, he is also in charge of planning, excise and taxation, town and country planning and urban estates, information, public relations, language and culture, criminal investigation, law and legislative, and housing for all departments.

Mr Vij, who held the home portfolio when Manohar Lal Khattar was the chief minister, has now also been given the charge of the labour department, in addition to energy and transport.

The health department, which Mr Vij handled during the Khattar government, has now been allotted to Arti Singh Rao, who will also take care of the medical education and research and Ayush departments, said a government order issued late in the night here.

Mr Saini (54) took oath as the chief minister of Haryana at a grand ceremony in Panchkula on Thursday that was attended by a galaxy of NDA leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and thousands of people from across the state.

Apart from him, 13 MLAs, including two women, took oath.

Rao Narbir Singh has been allotted industries and commerce, environment, forests and wildlife departments while Mahipal Dhanda got the school education department.

Vipul Goel has been allotted revenue and disaster management, urban local bodies and the civil aviation departments while Arvind Sharma will handle jails and cooperation portfolios.

Shyam Singh Rana will take care of the agriculture and farmers welfare department while Ranbir Gangwa will handle public health engineering. Krishan Kumar Bedi has social justice, empowerment, and SCs and BCs welfare departments while the women and child development portfolio will be handled by Shruti Choudhry.

Among other Ministers, Krishan Lal Panwar has been allocated development and panchayats, and mines and geology departments.

Minister of State (Independent Charge) Rajesh Nagar has been allocated food, civil supplies and consumer affairs while Minister of State Gaurav Gautam (Independent Charge) will handle youth empowerment and entrepreneurship, and sports departments.

The Governor of Haryana, on the advice of the chief minister, has allocated portfolios to the members of the Council of Ministers, the order said.

The BJP has won 48 out of 90 seats in the October 5 Haryana Assembly polls. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Panchkula, Haryana:

Hours after taking oath as the cabinet minister in the newly formed government in Haryana, BJP leader Anil Vij denied the speculations of him claiming to become Chief Minister of the state.

“I had never said that I wanted to become the CM. Information was spread amongst my supporters and workers that Anil Vij doesn’t want to be the CM or doesn’t want to take any responsibility…Till now, I have done all the tasks that the party has given me. If the party gives me this responsibility, then I will fulfil it,” Anil Vij told media persons.

Former Deputy Chief Minister Anil Vij, along with MLAs such as Shruti Choudhary, MLA Krishan Lal Panwar from Israna, Rao Narbir Singh from Badshahpur, and Mahipal Dhanda from Panipat, were inducted as ministers in CM Saini’s Cabinet earlier today.

The remarks came after BJP leader Nayab Singh Saini took oath as the Chief Minister of Haryana for the second time earlier today.

Haryana Governor Bandaru Dattatreya administered the oath of office to Nayab Saini and his council of ministers at a ceremony held at Dussehra Ground in Sector 5, Panchkula.

BJP MLAs, including Arti Singh Rao from Ateli, Rajesh Nagar from Tigaon, Gaurav Gautam from Palwal, Arvind Kumar Sharma from Gohana, Shyam Singh Rana from Radaur, Ranbir Singh Gangwa from Barwala, and Krishan Bedi from Narwana, also took their oaths as ministers in the Haryana government.

Several prominent leaders attended the event, including Prime Minister Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, and Union Ministers Nitin Gadkari and Rajiv Ranjan Singh.

The BJP has formed its third consecutive government in Haryana after winning 48 out of 90 seats in the assembly elections, while the Congress secured 37 seats.

Notably, Mr Vij during the Haryana polls on October 5, confidently stated that the BJP will form the government in Haryana and hinted at the possibility of becoming the Chief Minister, citing his seniority in the party.

BJP candidate from Ambala Cantt Assembly seat Anil Vij said, “…BJP will form its govt in Haryana. CM will be decided by the party if the party wants me, then our next meeting will be in the Chief Minister’s residence. I am the senior most in the party…”

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

The BJP is headed for a third straight term in Haryana, turning the exit poll predictions on its head. The BJP is leading in 49 of Haryana’s 90 seats. The Congress trailed with 34, and said it refused to accept the results. Here are the big winners in the state and the upsets: 

Winners

Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini led has won from his Ladwa constituency, over Congress’ Mewa Singh. The BJP has decided that Mr Saini would remain in the top post, sources said — an acknowledgement of his role in dispelling the accumulated anti-incumbency against his predecessor Manohar Lal Khattar’s government.

Former state minister Anil Vij of the BJP has won from the Ambala Cantonment, beating Congress’s Parvinder Pal Pari by 44989 votes. Although BJP had made it clear before the polls that Nayab Singh Saini will retain his post if the party wins, Mr Vij, a six-time MLA, had recently thrown his hat in the ring for the post. Asked about the matter today, Mr Vij said he has always dedicated himself for the party and never asked anything.

Congress’s Bhupinder Singh Hooda has retained his Garhi Sampla-Kiloi seat in Rohtak district, defeating his nearest BJP rival, Manju. Mr Hooda, 77, won by a convincing margin of 71,465 votes defeating BJP’s Manju Hooda.

Congress candidate and wrestler Vinesh Phogat defeated her nearest rival and BJP nominee Yogesh Kumar by a margin of 6,015 votes. Election Commission data shows the Olympian had polled 65,080 votes while her BJP opponent secured 59,065 votes. “It is a victory of ‘sangharh’ (struggle) and victory of truth… I will always keep the trust and love of the people,” she said after the results were announced.

Congress Rajya Sabha MP Randeep Singh Surjewala’s son Aditya Surjewala defeated BJP’s sitting MLA Leela Ram by a margin of 8,124 votes. This was the debut election for the 25-year-old who had contested from Haryana’s Kaithal.  A graduate from the from the University of British Columbia, he had to face the taunts of “super foreigner” from the BJP.

Losers

Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) leader Abhay Singh Chautala lost from the Ellenabad assembly seat in Haryana. Mr Chautala, the outgoing MLA, was defeated by Congress candidate Bharat Singh Beniwal by a margin of 15,000 votes.

Dushyant Chautala, the chief of Jannayak Janata Party, has lost to the BJP’s Devender Chatar Bhuj Atttri from the Uchana Kalan constituency. The former ally of the BJP, which broke alliance ahead of the Lok Sabha elections citing farmers’ anger and anti-incumbency against the BJP, has failed to post a single victory in this election.

Udai Bhan, the chief of Haryana Congress, has lost to the BJP’s Harinder Singh from Haryana’s Hodal assembly seat by a margin of over 2,500 votes, underscoring the Opposition party’s defeat in the election it was hoping to win. It also raises questions about the Congress support among Scheduled Castes, which the party had been banking on along with Jat support in this election.

Congress’s Surender Panwar, who recently made headlines for being investigated in a case involving illegal mining, has lost from Sonipat to the BJP’s Nikhil Maadan by a margin of 29627 votes. Mr Panwar was the sitting MLA from Sonipat, having won in the 2019 polls against the BJP’s Kavita Jain. 

Dharam Singh Chhoker, the Congress MLA from Samalkha, lost to the BJP’s Manmohan Bhadana by 19,315 votes.  Considered a close aide of Congress’s former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, he is facing a money laundering case filed by the Enforcement Directorate. His son Sikhander Singh is arrested in the same case. 

Haryana minister Anil Vij has thrown his hat into the ring for the top post in the state in case of a BJP victory. In a post on X, formerly Twitter, he said there is a lot of public pressure on him and he would stake claim for the post on the basis of his seniority within the party.  “Whether they appoint them or not is their prerogative,” he added.

The BJP, though, has already announced that the current Chief Minister, Nayab Singh Saini, will remain its candidate for the job. Mr Vij’s announcement could herald a crisis for the party, which prides itself on its discipline..

Ambala: Former Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij says, “I am a senior MLA from Haryana, contesting my seventh election. I have never asked for anything, but this time there is immense pressure from the public. Therefore, based on my seniority, I will stake a claim for the CM’s… pic.twitter.com/O4qSSWnzUV

— IANS (@ians_india) September 15, 2024

While factionalism is par for the course for even the BJP in several states, such open challenge to the party decision is rare.

In the post, he also said if given a chance, he would “transform Haryana”.

Mr Vij was passed over twice for the post of the Chief Minister – once when Manohar Lal Khattar was chosen and the second time when Nayab Singh Saini replaced him.

In 2014, he was the front-runner for the post, but the Central leadership had chosen Mr Khattar, known to be close to Union home minister and the BJP’s chief strategist Amit Shah.

When Mr Khattar was picked for the job, Mr Vij was given the key home ministry and under him, rose to be the most powerful and influential minister in the cabinet.

Mr Vij was hugely upset after Mr Saini was picked to replace Mr Khattar. As the seniormost minister in Mr Khattar’s cabinet, and the seniomost leader of the party in the state, he had thought the job should be his.

This time, the former minister has been fielded from the Ambala Cantonment seat.

Assembly elections will be held in Haryana in a single phase on October 5 and the votes will be counted on October 8.

The BJP is ready to contest polls tomorrow, asserted senior leader Anil Vij after his party faced opposition criticism for seeking to defer the September 1 polls. The party, in its defense, cited long holidays before and after the election date that it said could adversely affect the voter turnout.

Anil Vij, a former Haryana Home Minister, said that the BJP recently held a marathon meeting that lasted two days and sent the names of three to four probable nominees for every seat in the 90-member state Assembly to the Central Election Committee, underscoring that the party is ready.

Haryana polls would be held in a single phase on October 1. The votes will be counted on October 4.

“The declared dates make it possible for people to take extended holidays, which reduces voter turnout. Congress has reacted today, but we are not just asking for an extension. We suggest moving the dates back by a few days to prevent a long holiday period. We are ready for elections. Our party is ready. Have it tomorrow,” said Mr Vij.

Ambala: Haryana’s former Home Minister Anil Vij says, “The declared dates make it possible for people to take extended holidays, which reduces voter turnout. Congress has reacted today, but we are not just asking for an extension. We suggest moving the dates back by a few days to… pic.twitter.com/PLckYZNO42

— IANS (@ians_india) August 25, 2024

The BJP, which has been in power in state for a decade, is not alone in making this request. Abhay Chautala’s Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) has also sought the deferment of polls.

If the Election Commission agrees, it won’t be the first time. There is Punjab precedent.

In 2022, the poll body changed the date of polling for the Punjab assembly elections from February 14 to 20, after various political parties requested the six-day postponement, citing the birth anniversary of Sant Ravidas.

In his letter to the poll body, then Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi wrote that at least 20 lakh followers of Guru Ravidas from Punjab would congregate at Varanasi from 10 to 16 February to mark his birth anniversary, due to which they might not be able to vote.

However, the Congress this time sees it differently. Senior party leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda said the BJP had “accepted defeat” by requesting to postpone the Assembly election date, asserting that the people were ready to throw out the incumbent government.

“Polls should be held according to the date fixed by the EC… People of Haryana don’t want to see the BJP government in power even for a day,” said Bhupinder Hooda, a former Chief Minister.

Bhupinder Hooda’s son and Rohtak MP Deepender Hooda said the request shows “how scared the BJP is of the elections”.

The Aam Admi Party, which is contesting on its own in all seats, said if the BJP had done work in the state, it would not have been seeking postponement of polls.

The BJP points out that it is up for a contest and its worry is that holidays before and after the poll date may hit the voting percentage.

“We have reasoned that the Assembly election date of October 1 (Tuesday) is preceded by a weekend and followed by more holidays which might hit the voting percentage as people tend to go on vacation on long weekends,” said Varinder Garg, a member of the BJP’s state election management committee.

Mr Garg said September 28-29 are Saturday and Sunday while October 1 is a poll holiday.

It is followed by more holidays as Gandhi Jayanti falls on October 2 and Maharaja Agrasen Jayanti on October 3, he said.

A letter in this respect was sent by the party’s Haryana unit chief Mohan Lal Badoli to the poll panel.

By taking a day’s leave on September 30, people will have six holidays. Due to this long weekend, there is a strong possibility that several families might go on a vacation and give voting a miss, Mohan Lal Badoli, BJP Haryana chief said in his letter to the poll body, adding that it might affect voting percentage drastically.

Chandigarh:

Day after skipping new Chief Minister Nayab Saini’s swearing-in ceremony, senior BJP leader Anil Vij clarified that he was still with the party. “I am a bhakt of the BJP; situations may change but I will continue to work for the party,” Mr Vij told reporters outside the Haryana assembly.

Mr Vij had created waves among Haryana’s political circles when he walked out in a huff of the BJP legislature party meeting where Mr Saini was elected as the leader. Nayab Saini was appointed as the Haryana Chief Minister after Manohar Lal Khattar resigned along with his cabinet.

Mr Vij was upset as the party ignored him and decided to elevate Mr Saini. In 2014 too, when Mr Vij was among the frontrunners for the post of chief minister after the BJP came to power on its own strength in Haryana, the party chose first-time MLA Khattar for the post.

Emerging out of the BJP’s meeting in Haryana Niwas before Mr Saini’s oath-taking ceremony, when asked what transpired in the meeting, Mr Vij evaded a direct reply, saying “batane wale batayenge”. “Those who have come from Delhi will tell,” said Mr Vij as he was seen leaving in a huff.

When asked if Anil Vij was upset over the developments, Mr Khattar had said that the leader’s name was on the list of ministers to be inducted into the new cabinet.

In the past too, there have been many incidents when Mr Vij got upset over something but later on, things were normal, said Mr Khattar.

Amid political turmoil, the Haryana Assembly is holding a special session today where the newly elected Chief Minister will prove his majority in a floor test. The BJP has the support of six Independent MLAs, taking its figure to 47 – one over the majority mark in the 90-member Assembly. Five MLAs of Dushyant Chautala’s Jannayak Janata Party (JJP) are also expected to cross over to the BJP.

The change in leadership was prompted by the collapse of the alliance between the BJP and JJP.

The two parties went separate ways after failing to agree on a seat-sharing alliance for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

New Delhi/Gurugram:
As BJP broke up with its Haryana ally Jannayak Janata Party (JJP) yesterday, Manohar Lal Khattar was replaced as the Chief Minister with Nayab Saini. A floor test, – which will most likely be a routine procedure – is scheduled for 11 am.

Here are the top 10 updates on this big story

Chandigarh:

Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij on Monday asked the Director General of Police to suspend 372 Investigating Officers (IOs) across the state with immediate effect for allegedly not taking appropriate action on FIRs pending for over a year.

In a letter addressed to the Director General of Police on Monday, Mr Vij has given instructions to suspend 372 IOs across various districts of the state, an official statement said.

While putting up clarification on issuing instructions to suspend 372 Investigating Officers in one go Mr Vij said, “For a long time, I have been saying to the officers to finalise the disposal of prolonged cases. In May, the department gave us information that there are nearly 3,229 cases in which final disposal has not been done for more than one year. People are going from one place to another, and cases are not getting disposed of. We called the officers, and 372 officers did not give a satisfactory explanation. I have issued an order to immediately suspend 372 Io’s,” said Mr Vij.

Apart from that Mr Vij also asked for the pending cases to be transferred to respective deputy superintendents of police for final disposal within a month. “The cases pending before them will be transferred to respective DSPs with the warning that their final disposal should be done within one month. Otherwise, action will be taken against those officers who in doing so.”

Mr Vij further informed that among 372 investigating officers (IOs) 60 IOs are in Gurugram, Faridabad 32, Panchkula 10, Ambala 30, Yamunanagar 57, Karnal 31, Panipat 3, Hisar 14, Sirsa 66, Jind 24, Rewari 5, Rohtak 31 and 9 in Sonipat.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)