Months before the Haryana Assembly polls, the BJP took a bold gamble by replacing its long-standing Chief Minister, Manohar Lal Khattar, with the relatively unknown OBC leader, Nayab Singh Saini. This decision raised eyebrows among many, but on Tuesday, October 8, 2024, the BJP’s strategy proved successful as Saini led the party to victory in the elections. This win came after a dismal showing in the Lok Sabha elections in the state and defied exit poll predictions that favored a Congress sweep.
Saini’s elevation from Haryana BJP president to Chief Minister in March occurred amidst mounting anti-incumbency sentiments following Khattar’s nine-and-a-half-year tenure. The opposition, capitalizing on public dissatisfaction, relentlessly attacked the BJP on issues such as farmers’ concerns, unemployment, the Agnipath scheme, inflation, and law and order. With the Lok Sabha elections and later the assembly elections looming, Saini had a mere two months to sway public perception. He wasted no time, and his cabinet swiftly implemented crucial decisions. These included the approval of the Haryana Agniveer Policy, 2024, designed to provide employment and entrepreneurial opportunities to Agniveers after their military service. The government also approved a proposal to buy 10 additional crops at minimum support price (MSP), making Haryana the only state to purchase 24 crops at MSP.
The BJP’s election manifesto was packed with promises, including providing cooking gas cylinders at ₹500 under the ‘Har Ghar Grahani Yojana,’ monthly financial assistance of ₹2,100 for women, two lakh government jobs for youth, and guaranteed government jobs for Agniveers from Haryana. During the campaign, the BJP focused on exposing alleged corruption, favoritism, and scams during the Congress rule. Saini traversed the state, highlighting the BJP government’s achievements while reminding voters of the Congress’s alleged failure to fulfill its promises in states like Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, and Telangana. Despite the exit poll predictions, Saini remained confident of a BJP victory, boldly proclaiming, “Aath tareekh (Oct 8) ko janta degi jawab, aur yeh (Congress) kahenge EVM hai kharab (The people will respond on October 8 and the Congress will blame EVMs for its defeat).”
As counting progressed on October 8, it became evident by late afternoon that the BJP was securing a third consecutive term. According to the Election Commission website, the BJP was leading in 49 of the 90 assembly seats, effectively halting a Congress comeback after a decade. Saini himself won the Ladwa assembly seat with a comfortable margin of 16,054 votes against his Congress rival, Mewa Singh.
Prior to the elections, the BJP had confirmed that Saini would continue as Chief Minister if the party won. This was despite the emergence of senior leader Anil Vij as a potential contender for the top position. Saini’s victory was also notable as he secured the Karnal assembly seat in a bypoll held concurrently with the Lok Sabha elections in May, defeating Congress nominee Tarlochan Singh. This seat had become vacant when Khattar resigned as Chief Minister in March.
Nayab Singh Saini, born on January 25, 1970, in Ambala’s Mirzapur Majra village, served as a minister in the Khattar cabinet between 2014 and 2019. His rise within the state BJP over the past three decades has been steady and impressive. He held positions such as district president and general secretary of Haryana BJP Kisan Morcha. In 2002, he was the state BJP youth wing’s Ambala district general secretary, becoming the district president three years later. He was elected to the Haryana Assembly from Naraingarh constituency in 2014 and to the Lok Sabha from Kurukshetra seat in 2019.
In October 2023, Saini was appointed as the Haryana BJP chief, a move aimed at strengthening the party’s hold over the OBC community and non-Jats. His elevation to the Chief Minister’s post mirrored the path taken by Khattar, who was chosen for the role in 2014 after the BJP’s first independent victory in Haryana. At the time, Khattar, a first-time MLA from Karnal, was selected over several senior party leaders, including Ram Bilas Sharma, Anil Vij, Capt Abhimanyu, and O P Dhankar. Khattar is now a Union Minister. This recent victory underscores the BJP’s calculated and successful strategy of promoting a new generation of leaders, particularly those from underrepresented communities, to consolidate its hold on power in Haryana.
