Nayab Singh Saini stakes claim to form BJP govt in Haryana

Chandigarh, Oct 16 (IANS) Hours after being unanimously elected as the leader of the BJP legislature party leader, outgoing Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, accompanied by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, on Wednesday called on Governor Bandaru Dattatreya at Raj Bhawan here and staked claim to form the government.  

Saini, 54, will take oath as the Chief Minister at Parade Ground in Sector 5 in Panchkula, near here, on Thursday morning in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Minister Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, besides Chief Ministers of BJP-ruled states.

Three Independent MLAs -- Savitri Jindal, Devendra Kadyan and Rajesh Doon -- who have extended their support to Saini have also reached Raj Bhawan.

Earlier in the day, Saini was unanimously elected as the leader of the BJP legislature party in a Panchkula meeting attended by Union Home Minister Shah and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav as the party's central observers.

Addressing the legislators, Shah said Haryana has created history by proving the political pundits of the country wrong and forming the BJP government for the third consecutive time.

"Nayab Singh Saini has been elected as leader of the legislative party. We will again form the government in Haryana, the double-engine government will be here for 15 years. Under the leadership of Manohar Lal Khattar, many development works were carried out in Haryana," he said.

After being chosen as leader of the BJP legislative party, Saini said: "The people of Haryana have placed their faith in the policies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and formed the BJP government for the third time and the people have resolved to carry forward the vision of Prime Minister Modi to make India developed by 2047."

Saini’s nomination as the legislature party leader was proposed by MLAs Krishan Kumar Bedi and Anil Vij.

The BJP won the Assembly elections for the third straight time fighting anti-incumbency, winning 48 seats in the 90-seat assembly. The Congress won 37 seats, while the INLD secured two and three Independents were elected. All three have extended unconditional support to the government. Saini was appointed Chief Minister of Haryana in March after Manohar Lal Khattar resigned from the position ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.