Nayab Singh Saini, 54, took oath as Haryana’s Chief Minister today for the second time, marking the BJP’s record third consecutive term in power in the state. The oath-taking ceremony, held at Panchkula’s Parade Ground near Chandigarh, was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and top BJP leaders, along with 18 Chief Ministers from National Democratic Alliance (NDA)-ruled states.

The mega political gathering comes just ahead of crucial assembly polls in Maharashtra and Jharkhand and is seen as a show of strength by the party.

Haryana Governor Bandaru Dattatreya administered the oath of office and secrecy to Mr Saini, who first assumed the chief minister’s role in March earlier this year, replacing former chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar. Besides Mr Saini, BJP leaders Anil Vij, Krishan Lal Panwar and Rao Narbir Singh were among those who were administered the oath of office.

Mr Saini’s political journey spans nearly 30 years. Born in 1970, he entered politics under the mentorship of Mr Khattar. Mr Saini was first elected as an MLA from Naraingarh in 2014 and later inducted into the state Cabinet in 2016. His rise to prominence came during his tenure as an MP from Kurukshetra, a seat he won in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections by defeating Congress’s Nirmal Singh by a significant margin.

In the hours leading up to the swearing-in, Mr Saini undertook a series of religious visits, paying his respects at the Valmiki Bhawan, a local gurdwara, and the Mansa Devi temple in Panchkula. 

The BJP defied the odds to secure a third consecutive term in Haryana. In the October 5 assembly elections, the BJP achieved an unprecedented victory, securing 48 of the 90 seats in the state assembly. The Congress, the principal opposition, managed to win 37 seats, while smaller regional parties like the Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) failed to make any significant impact. The Indian National Lok Dal (INLD), once a formidable political force, was reduced to just two seats.

Mr Saini’s victory in the assembly polls came from Ladwa, a constituency created in 2007. He won by a margin of 16,054 votes, defeating Congress candidate Mewa Singh. While eight of the ten ministers from his previous Cabinet faced defeat, the two who won were Mahipal Dhanda and Mool Chand Sharma.

The BJP’s dominance was particularly evident in constituencies reserved for Scheduled Castes (SC). The party managed to flip eight of the 17 SC seats, including Nilokheri, Pataudi, Kharkhauda, Hodal, Bawal, Narwana, Israna, and Bawani Khera. One of the most notable victories came in Hodal, where Haryana Congress chief Udai Bhan was unseated by BJP’s Harinder Singh.