Haryana: Khattar, Dushyant's swearing-in on Sunday

Manohar Lal Khattar is set to be the new chief minister of Haryana with Dushyant Chautala of the Janata Jananayak Party (JJP) as his deputy after the two met Governor Satyadeo Narain Arya on Saturday and staked claim to form the next government, which will also comprise seven independents.

The swearing-in ceremony will take place at the Raj Bhavan on Sunday at 2.15 pm. Khattar along with Dushyant and seven independents met the Governor after the former CM was unanimously elected leader of the BJP’s legislative party in Haryana.

The BJP also made it clear that it will not seek the support of MLA Gopal Kanda of the Haryana Lokhit party (HJP). The saffron party’s overtures to the MLA resulted in a backlash from the public and the Opposition.

Dushyant’s father and former MP, Ajay Chautala, who is serving a 10-year jail term in a job recruitment scam, was on Saturday granted two weeks furlough. Chautala, who will be attending the swearing-in ceremony on Sunday, is likely to come out of Tihar jail on Saturday evening or Sunday.

The BJP, which fell short of 6 seats to form the government, is now comfortably placed with 10 MLAs of the JJP by its side. With the support of another seven independent MLAs, the saffron party has managed to tide over the crisis of government formation.

Besides the post of the deputy CM, the JJP is likely to settle for two Cabinet berths. With the BJP securing numbers even without the support of independent MLAs, the compulsion to oblige independents in a quid pro quo for their support by offering them cabinet portfolios or other posts has now ebbed.

But resentment seems to be brewing among the JJP cadre over the party extending support to the BJP.