Saini calls on top saffron brass; Modi to attend oath ceremony

Aditi Tandon

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, October 9

The BJP-led Haryana Government is likely to take oath after Dasehra with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP president JP Nadda, Home Minister Amit Shah and top saffron brass, besides CMs of BJP and NDA-ruled states, set to attend the ceremony.

The party, meanwhile, received a shot in the arm today with three Independent MLAs — Savitri Jindal (Hisar), former Congressman Rajesh Joon (Bahadurgarh) and BJP rebel Devender Kadyan (Ganaur) — announcing support to the BJP. All three met party’s Haryana poll in-charge Dharmendra Pradhan and co-in-charge Biplab Deb before backing the BJP.

PM: Haryana rejected Cong, so should Maha

• A day after BJP’s historic hat-trick in Haryana, PM Modi on Wednesday said Maharashtra too should defeat Congress’ ‘hateful conspiracies’
• The PM was addressing an event to launch a slew of infra projects in poll-bound Maharashtra
• He singled out the Congress, accusing it of playing politics of communalism, casteism and divide and rule to usurp power

These developments unfolded as Nayab Singh Saini, under whose chief ministership the party scripted a historic hat-trick, a first in the state’s 57-year history, met President Droupadi Murmu here today and also PM Modi to thank him for leading the party to a record win.

“Met the country’s most popular and successful Prime Minister, discussed the Haryana mandate and expressed heartfelt gratitude to him for having special affection towards the people of Haryana. This historic victory is a victory of trust in the policies of the Prime Minister, a victory of good governance, equality and a victory of the welfare of the poor. Under the PM’s guidance, Haryana continues to work hard, touching new horizons,” Saini said, congratulating the PM on completing 23 years of public life.

Modi in turn said he was confident of a more pronounced Haryana role in the realisation of the goal of a developed India.

With the PM hailing Saini (he had yesterday dialled the caretaker CM), signals were that the party’s OBC leader, who replaced ML Khattar as the Haryana CM on March 12 this year, would be retained in the post. A meeting of the BJP Legislature Party will soon be called to elect the leader.