Haryana CM Saini meets former home minister Anil Vij in Ambala, touches his feet

Ambala: Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini Friday met senior BJP leader and former home minister Anil Vij, who was stated to be upset with the party for not keeping him in the loop when deciding to replace Manohar Lal Khattar as CM, and touched his feet to seek his blessings.

The two leaders spent some time at Vij's Ambala Cantonment residence over a cup of tea.

"I express my gratitude to you from the bottom of my heart for your love, blessings and good wishes," Saini said in a post on X in Hindi, sharing a small clip from the meeting with Bollywood song 'apne toh apne hote hain' playing in the background.

The clip shows Saini being welcomed by Vij who presents him with a shawl.

Saini bows to touch Vij's feet and seeks his blessings. The two leaders also offer sweets to each other.

Last week, the BJP replaced Khattar with Saini, an OBC leader, as Haryana chief minister in a swift switch in the state, just weeks ahead of the Lok Sabha polls. Vij did not find a place in the cabinet led by Saini.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting in Ambala, Saini said, 'Vij sahab is our senior leader. When I was district president here, even then I used to get his blessings. I used to meet him from time to time to seek his guidance and I used to get to learn many things. When I became the party's state unit president, at that time also I got Vij sahab's blessings.

'I have come here to seek his blessings. He is our senior leader and under his guidance, we have to win all 10 Lok Sabha seats from Haryana,' he said.

Vij said he was not upset. "I have been saying this repeatedly I am a dedicated soldier of the BJP." "Mulaqat hui, kuchh baat hui (we met, we discussed things," he said.

During his visit to Karnal on Thursday, Saini had said, 'Vij is our senior leader. We have been getting his guidance and will continue to get it'.

When Vij was asked about Saini's comment, he had said in Ambala on Thursday that "he can come at any time, tea is ready for him".