Haryana: Manohar Lal Khattar Elected Leader At BJP MLAs Meet, To Take Oath On Diwali

Manohar Lal Khattar will take oath as the chief minister of Haryana on Sunday at 2.15 pm on Sunday. Khattar confirmed that he will take oath on Diwali after meeting the Governor Satyadev Narain Arya. Dushyant Chautala will take oath as deputy chief minister. 

Earlier, Khattar was unanimously elected as the leader of the BJP's legislative party in Haryana on Saturday, with the party claiming that it would provide a "stable and honest" government in Haryana with the support of the JJP. The BJP also clarified that there would be only one deputy chief minister in the party-led coalition government in the state.

The announcement was made by Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad. Prasad, along with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) general secretary Arun Singh, attended the legislative party meeting as central observers. Khattar's name was proposed by MLAs Anil Vij and Kanwar Pal and seconded by other BJP legislators.

Prasad congratulated Khattar for being elected as the BJP legislative party leader in Haryana. Prasad, along with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) general secretary Arun Singh, attended the legislative party meeting here as central observers. The Union minister said the party would provide a "stable, honest and effective" government in Haryana.

"We will go and meet the governor (for staking claim to form the government)...and urge him to formally invite us," he said, adding that the JJP and some Independent MLAs had pledged their support to the BJP.

However, Prasad clarified that the saffron party would not take the support of Sirsa MLA Gopal Kanda, a controversial politician who faces two abetment-to-suicide cases, to form the government in Haryana.

To a question on who would be accommodated in the new state cabinet, he said it was the prerogative of the chief minister, who would take a call in this regard after the oath-taking ceremony. To another question on the number of deputy chief ministers in the new government, Prasad said only one person would be named to the post.

As per the assurance given to the JJP by the BJP, the deputy chief minister would be from the regional party.

On Friday, BJP president Amit Shah told a press conference in New Delhi that the chief minister will be from his party and the deputy chief minister from the regional party. JJP chief Dushyant Chautala was also present at the press conference.