CHANDIGARH: Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar was today elected as the leader of the
BJP legislature party in the state. He is likely to return as the CM for second term tomorrow as the swearing-in-ceremony might take place on Diwali (festival of lights). While Naina Chautala of Jannayak Janata Party (JJP) mother of Dushyant Chautala is likely to be the Deputy Chief Minister, also new faces in the cabinet.
Khattar’s name was proposed by senior party leader, five-time MLA from Ambala cantonment and state health minister Anil Vij and MLA Kanwar Pal and seconded by the rest of the MLAs. Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad and BJP general secretary Arun Singh were present in the meeting.
"We will go to meet the Governor and request him to invite us to form the government. Will form a stable and honest government with the support of JJP and independent candidates. Chief Minister will decide on the state cabinet after taking oath, said Prasad.
Khattar will go to meet Haryana Governor Satyadeo Narain Arya and stake claim to form the government in the state. The oath-taking is likely to take place tomorrow on Diwali day in the afternoon.
Today morning only Khattar came back from Delhi after meeting senior party leaders including party president Amit Shah and sealing the allaince with JJP to attend the BJP legislature party meeting.
The saffron party is not likely to take support of controversial Haryana Lokhit Party legislator Gopal Kanda. "We are not be taking any support from him (Kanda),’’ said Parsad. Khattar said," we have support of JJP and all the independents.’’
While Nanina Chautala of Jannayak Janata Party mother of Dushyant Chautala is likely to be the Deputy Chief Minister in the Khattar cabinet as party is seriously thinking on this move. She won the election from Badhra assembly segment.
Naina is wife of Ajay Chautala, who is presently lodged in Tihar Jail after conviction in a teacher recruitment scam along with his father and former chief minister Om Prakash Chautala. `` Only one deputy Chief Minister will be sworn in, ’’ said Prasad.
Earlier, Naina was an INLD MLA from Dabwali and Dushyant is great-grandson of former deputy prime minister Chaudhary Devi Lal.
Sources said by playing this card Dushyant will silence his critics who accuse him of betraying the mandate for the people and would work to strengthen the party.
It is learnt that security of Chautala’s have been beefed up at their residences in Hisar and Sirsa.
It is learnt that Kanwar Pal Gujjar the speaker could be a cabinet minister. Also Ranjit Singh Chautala an independent who left Congress after denied the ticket and won could be minister in the new government. He is son of former chief minister and INLD supremo Om Parkash Chatula.