Haryana has done well in terms of economic growth over the last couple of decades. For it to continue to lead the growth ladder, the new government has to work hard on multiple dimensions, recommend Shishir Gupta and Rishita Sachdeva.
Months before the Haryana assembly polls, the Bharatiya Janata Party replaced its strongman Manohar Lal Khattar as chief minister with low-profile OBC leader Nayab Singh Saini, a decision that surprised many.
Nayab Singh Saini on Wednesday staked claim to form the next government in Haryana, hours after he was unanimously elected as the leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party legislature party in the state.
Saini, 54, a low profile OBC leader, rose through the ranks in the party and was unanimously elected as the leader of the state BJP's legislature group at a meeting held in Chandigarh on Tuesday.
Saini's elevation as Haryana chief minister fits in with a pattern that has gathered pace in the BJP after the Congress and its allies like the Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh and the Rashtriya Janata Dal in Bihar began making an aggressive bid to woo the largest group of communities and politically most significant, especially in Hindi-speaking states, by pushing for a caste census.
Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini addressed the 'Saini Samaj' in Punjab, appealing to the OBC community ahead of the upcoming state elections. He criticized rival parties for neglecting OBCs and highlighted the BJP's commitment to their welfare.
Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini has refuted claims by the opposition regarding the cancellation of old-age pensions, calling them baseless and politically motivated. He assured that the government is verifying discrepancies to ensure only eligible beneficiaries receive pensions and highlighted the increase in pension amounts and the number of beneficiaries under the current regime.
The Anti-Corruption Bureau registered an FIR, while the state government constituted a committee to examine the fraud.
Hours before the ceremony, Saini visited the Valmiki Bhawan and offered prayers at a gurdwara and the Mansa Devi temple in Panchkula.
The bench asked the petitioner to circulate three copies of the petition for the three judges and cautioned with imposition of fine.
Saini, who is an MP from Kurukshetra, was unanimously elected as the leader of the state BJP legislature group and will be sworn in later in the day, party MLAs Subhash Sudha and J P Dalal told reporters.
A Haryana government employee has been arrested in connection with the Rs 590 crore IDFC First Bank fraud case, which involved state government accounts and led to the recovery of nearly Rs 556 crore within 24 hours.
Saini is likely to consult with his senior leadership on finalising his cabinet, sources said.
The Jannayak Janata Party (JJP) had issued a whip, asking its 10 legislators to remain absent from the House during voting on the confidence motion. However, when the issue of trust vote was taken up, five of its MLAs left the House.
Gandhi said there was a lot of pressure on Kumar's family, particularly his two daughters.
Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) president Chirag Paswan demands a time-bound and impartial probe into the death of IPS officer Y Puran Kumar, alleging caste oppression and harassment within the administrative system. He has spoken to Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini regarding the matter.
A national-level basketball player died in Rohtak, Haryana after a basketball hoop collapsed on him during practice. The incident was captured on CCTV.
Senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader and former Minister Anil Vij on Sunday said he will stake claim for the chief minister's post if the party returns to power in Haryana after the October 5 assembly polls.
In an eight-page "final note," purportedly left behind by Kumar, he accused eight senior IPS officers, including Kapur and Bijarniya, of "blatant caste-based discrimination, targeted mental harassment, public humiliation and atrocities."
Anil Vij on Tuesday skipped Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini's swearing-in ceremony where, he would also have been inducted in the cabinet.
During the presser, Gandhi showed a picture of a woman who appears on the voter list 22 times in 10 booths in the Rai assembly constituency, and said this shows that this was a 'centralised operation'.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, senior BJP leaders and chief ministers of some other states will attend the event.
The tragedy struck the 39th Surajkund International Crafts Mela on Saturday evening, when about 19 people were riding the swing before it suddenly tilted and then crashed onto the ground.
Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini held a meeting with top officials to address concerns related to the death of IPS officer Y Puran Kumar. The government is considering actions based on a complaint filed by Kumar's wife.
'Age matters and the way Tejashwi has been doing an aggressive campaign, only a young leader like him can do it.'
'The only thought was that we have to give it all in those seven hours for our country.'
Former chief minister ML Khattar also indicated the BJP government was not averse to a floor test and that six Jannayak Janta Party MLAs are with it.
Eight out of 10 ministers under the Nayab Singh Saini government faced defeat in the Haryana assembly polls.
Haryana is now in the same bracket as Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh where the BJP is the centre-point of politics.
Nitin Nabin, a five-time Bihar MLA, has been elected unopposed as the BJP national president, becoming the youngest person to hold the position. His appointment signals a generational shift in the party's leadership as it prepares for key state elections.
Charges under the SC/ST Act have been added to the FIR in the alleged suicide case of Haryana IPS officer Y Puran Kumar following a plea by his wife. The case involves allegations of caste-based discrimination and harassment against senior officers.
Khattar, who represented the Karnal seat, said newly appointed Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini will take care of the constituency now.
'It is not about money, it is about respect. Many people from across the state tell me that I must have received the cash award.'
The government which has the support of two other Independents is now two short of the majority mark in the 90-member House which has a current strength of 88.
The Haryana government transferred Rohtak Superintendent of Police Narendra Bijarniya after an IPS officer's suicide and allegations of caste-based discrimination.
The three MLAs -- Sombir Sangwan, Randhir Gollen and Dharampal Gonder -- also said that they have decided to extend support to the Congress during the elections.
'Let his soul rest in peace...We should all be proud of him in every way. And we will make him proud in every way'
When the assembly election comes around later this year with Nayab Singh Saini, from the OBCs, at the helm, the sense of victimhood non-Jats feel will propel the BJP into power again, predicts Aditi Phadnis.
The Janata Dal (United) (JD(U)), an alliance partner of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in Bihar, has put up posters outside its party office asserting that Nitish Kumar will continue as the Bihar Chief Minister till 2030. This comes after Haryana's Deputy Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini said that the BJP would win the Bihar polls under the leadership of Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary. The JD(U) has refuted these claims, saying that Nitish Kumar will remain the face of the NDA in the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections.
The wife of a senior Haryana police officer who allegedly committed suicide has questioned the FIR filed in the case, citing incomplete information and seeking amendments to include all accused and reflect appropriate sections of the SC/ST Act.
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