Revamp complete, 3 more Khattar aides back in CMO

Former Chief Minister and Union minister Manohar Lal Khattar continues to call the shots in Haryana affairs, with three of his confidants staging a comeback into the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO).

Apparently after a nod from the party high command, CM Nayab Singh Saini has appointed three Khattar aides—Tarun Bhandari, Virender Badkhalsa and Praveen Atray—to important positions in the CMO, ignoring claims of several senior BJP leaders, including ministers. The appointments have come days after Saini met Khattar in New Delhi.

Bhandari has been appointed to the key post of political secretary to CM. A Congressman-turned-BJP leader, Bhandari, was publicity adviser to Khattar and was instrumental in bringing several senior Congress leaders, such as Kiran Chaudhry and Ashok Tanwar, to the saffron party.

Badkhalsa, who has been appointed Officer on Special Duty (OSD), also worked at the same position during Khattar’s tenure. Atray, new media secretary to the CM, a former INLD leader, also worked as Khattar’s media secretary.

Earlier, the Saini government had appointed two OSDs—Raj Nehru and Bharat Bhushan Bharti—considered close to Khattar. There is no word yet on the new media adviser to the CM, though Rajeev Jaitley, who was media adviser during Khattar’s tenure, is continuing on his post.

With these appointments, the revamp of the CMO, currently headed by Chief Principal Secretary Rajesh Khullar, also a Khattar aide, is complete.

Recently, Arun Kumar Gupta and Saket Kumar were appointed Principal Secretary and Additional Principal Secretary to CM, respectively. Yash Pal was appointed Deputy Principal Secretary to CM.

Former CM loyalists

• Rajesh Khullar, Chief Principal Secretary to CM

• Virender Badkhalsa, BB Bharti, Raj Nehru, OSDs

• Tarun Bhandari, political secretary to CM

• Praveen Atray, media secretary to CM