Haryana: ML Khattar Set To Be Sworn As CM Today, Dushyant Chautala To Take Oath As Deputy CM

Manohar Lal Khattar will take oath as the chief minister of Haryana for a second straight term on Sunday. JJP leader Dushyant Chautala will be sworn in as his deputy. Haryan Governor Satyadeo Narain Arya on Saturday invited Khattar to lead the BJP-JJP coalition government which also has the support of seven independents. Khattar, Chautala and some ministers will be sworn-in at 2:15 pm at the Haryana Raj Bhavan on Sunday.

On Saturday, 65-year-old Khattar was unanimously elected leader of the BJP's legislative party in Haryana. Khattar's name was proposed by MLAs Anil Vij and Kanwar Pal and seconded by other party legislators including Ghanshyam Saraf and Banwari Lal. After being elected as the legislative party leader, Dushyant met Khattar at the UT guest house, the venue of BJP meet.

Government To Have Support of 57 MLAs

After the meeting, Khattar, Dushyant along with seven Independents met the governor. Dushyant and the Independents also gave their letters of support to the governor. Khattar said the governor was informed that a total of 57 MLAs - 40 of the BJP, 10 of the JJP and seven Independents - have come together to form the government. In the 90-member Haryana assembly, a minimum strength of 46 MLAs is required to form the government.

"The governor accepted it and invited us to form the government on Sunday," Khattar said, adding Dushyant would take oath his deputy.

BJP Will Not Take Support From Gopal Kanda

BJP, however, would not take the support of controversial Sirsa MLA Gopal Kanda, who faces two abetment-to-suicide cases.

"I want to clarify one thing that the BJP is not going to take the support of Kanda," said Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, Prasad, who attended the legislative party meeting here as central observer along with BJP general secretary Arun Singh.

Earlier, Khattar and his cabinet colleagues submitted their resignations to the governor, which were accepted. The governor asked Khattar to continue as the interim chief minister till the new government took over.

Ministerial Probables In Khattar Government

Manohar Lal Khattar said the names of the ministers who will also take oath will be made known on Sunday.

Six-time MLA Anil Vij, Banwari Lal, Seema Trikha from the BJP, while Ram Kumar Gautam and Ishwar Singh from the JJP are among the probables who are likely to get ministerial berths in the new Haryana government. Names of other BJP MLAs doing rounds for ministerial berths are Mahaipal Dhanda, Ghanshyam Saraf, Kamal Gupta, Subhash Sudha and Deepak Mangla.

Among seven independents who are supporting the BJP-led coalition which will be sworn in on Diwali day here on Sunday, late Devi Lal's son Ranjit Singh Chautala is among the frontrunners for the ministerial post, party sources said.