Haryana Assembly Election: Nayab Singh Saini Likely To Continue As CM, Reports Say

Nayab Singh Saini, the current Chief Minister of Haryana, is set to retain his position for another term, according to BJP leaders, putting an end to speculation surrounding his alleged ineffectiveness.

BJP appears poised for a historic third term in the state, leading in 49 of the 90 assembly seats, while Congress lags behind with leads in only 36 seats.

Photo Credit: PTI

Although BJP leadership had confirmed prior to the election that Saini would remain in the top post if victorious, there had been rumours of a change due to his brief tenure and the caste dynamics.

Saini belongs to the Other Backward Classes (OBC), in a state that has historically been led by Jats in the chief minister's role.

Saini was appointed as Chief Minister roughly 200 days before the election, as part of a strategic pre-poll reshuffle often undertaken by the BJP in states facing anti-incumbency.

His predecessor, Manohar Lal Khattar, was moved to contest the Lok Sabha election and elevated to the role of Union Minister.

The transition was seen as seamless, with Saini enjoying the support of Khattar.

BJP leaders in the state have praised Saini for implementing several schemes during his short tenure, benefiting traders, youth, backward classes, and government employees, and counteracting the anti-incumbency sentiment that had built up against Khattar's government.

He launched the Haryana Agniveer Policy, 2024, aimed at providing employment and entrepreneurship opportunities to Agniveers, addressing the backlash against the Agniveer scheme.

He also introduced free medical tests for the underprivileged in government hospitals and abolished minimum charges on electricity.

This approach was part of BJP's strategy to strengthen its traditional non-Jat voter base, anticipating that the Jat vote would be split between Congress and Jat-centric parties like the INLD and the Jannayak Janata Party.

BJP is now leading in 70 per cent of Jat-dominated seats-17 out of 33-with Congress ahead in just 14.

The saffron party is also leading in all seven bellwether constituencies and performing well in Scheduled Caste-dominated areas, leading in nine out of 17 seats.