The Haryana government, led by Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, underwent its first Cabinet expansion on Tuesday, with eight party MLAs being sworn in as ministers. Notably, senior BJP leader Anil Vij, who previously served as the Haryana Home Minister, was not included in Saini's new Cabinet lineup.
The expansion comes after Saini and five ministers took oath last week. With a maximum limit of 14 ministers, including the Chief Minister, the cabinet now comprises six cabinet ministers and eight Ministers of State.
The newly-appointed ministers represent a diverse range of communities, with considerations given to factors such as caste, community, and gender representation. Notably, Saini hails from the OBC community, while Bishambhar Singh Balmiki represents the Dalit community, and Seema Trikha is the sole female MLA to secure a cabinet position.
Despite expectations of more independent MLAs being included, only one independent MLA, Ranjit Singh Chautala, was appointed to a cabinet position. Notably, four ministers from the previous ML Khattar government, including Sandeep Singh, Kamlesh Dhanda, Anil Vij, and Om Prakash Yadav, have been excluded from the new cabinet lineup.
Anil Vij's exclusion from the cabinet comes amidst reports of his displeasure with the party's decision to appoint Saini as Chief Minister without informing him. However, former CM Khattar downplayed Vij's discontent, stating that Vij tends to get upset easily but eventually returns to normalcy.
The leadership change in Haryana, which saw Saini replace Khattar as Chief Minister, occurred just weeks ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, marking a significant development in the state's political landscape.
