Gurugram: As Nayab Saini, for the second time, took oath as Haryana Chief Minister Thursday, the swearing-in of his council of ministers reflected a mix of castes, with the other backward classes (OBCs) securing the maximum representation.
Five of the 13 ministers sworn in with Saini come from the OBC category, two each are from the Jat, Brahmin, and Scheduled Caste communities, and one each is from the Punjabi, Rajput, and Vaishya communities.
The only two women in Saini’s cabinet are Shruti Choudhry and Arti Rao, both sworn in as ministers of state.
Three of the 13 ministers are dynasts — Shruti Choudhry from the Bansi Lal clan, Arti Rao from the Rao Birender Singh clan, and Rao Narbir Singh from the Rao Mohar Singh family.
Saini’s cabinet does not have any Muslim or Sikh faces. In the 2024 Assembly elections, the BJP gave two tickets to the Muslim community in Nuh district, but neither of the two could win. The party did not field any Sikh candidate in this election.
Kushal Pal, a political science professor and principal of Indira Gandhi National College, Ladwa, Kurukshetra, said that the choice of ministers by Nayab Saini showed a perfect case of social engineering, with several social groups and regions of Haryana represented in the council of ministers. Saini’s cabinet, Pal said, accommodated all major and minor castes.
“Representation has been given to SC, OBC, general and upper castes. The rural and urban representation has also been taken care of. Representation has been given to all regions of Haryana. OBC faces are prominent as CM belongs to the main agricultural community among the OBCs,” Pal told ThePrint.
Mahabir Jaglan, a political analyst, said the council of ministers is loaded in favour of South Haryana minus Mewat. The representations of Jats and Punjabis have gone down, and there is less representation for North Haryana and farmers, he said.
Claiming that the OBC and upper castes would be pleased, Jaglan said, “Half of the ministers are OBCs or upper castes — 2 Brahmins, 1 Rajput, 4 OBC ministers plus CM. It looks as if the Jats and farmers of the North are being given a lesson for the farmers’ movement.”
Jyoti Mishra, a researcher at the Centre for Study on Democratic Societies (CSDS), however, said the newly formed Haryana government’s cabinet was strategically designed to address caste dynamics, aiming to consolidate support across various social groups.
“By ensuring balanced representation, the BJP seeks to mitigate caste-based dissent and reinforce its nationalist agenda. Key portfolios are likely to be distributed among representatives from dominant castes, such as Jats, and marginalised groups, such as Dalits and OBCs, reflecting an inclusive approach. This balance would create a perception of equal opportunity, ensuring that various communities feel politically represented,” Mishra told ThePrint.
“Inclusion of emerging leaders from different castes signals the party’s long-term commitment to grassroots engagement. By framing this cabinet composition within its ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas‘ narrative, the party emphasises development and national unity over caste-based politics,” she added.
She said the approach would enhance BJP’s electoral viability by promoting a harmonious society while reducing caste tensions. Moreover, the government, Mishra said, can counter Opposition criticism by portraying the cabinet as a reflection of Haryana’s social fabric, focusing on inclusivity and shared progress rather than caste appeasement alone.
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New & old faces in Saini’s cabinet
Nayab Saini is the 19th CM of Haryana but the 11th leader to reach the chair. The swearing-in ceremony took place at the Dussehra Ground in Panchkula. Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended the ceremony as the chief guest.
BJP President J.P. Nadda and Union ministers Amit Shah, Nitin Gadkari and Rajnath Singh, and the chief ministers and deputy CMs from 18 states attended the event.
Along with Saini, MLAs Anil Vij (Ambala Cantt), Krishan Panwar (Israna, Panipat), Rao Narbir Singh (Badshahpur, Gurugram), Mahipal Dhanda (Panipat Rural), Vipul Goel (Faridabad) and Arvind Sharma (Gohana, Sonipat) were sworn in as cabinet ministers.
MLAs Shyam Singh Rana (Radaur, Yamunanagar), Ranbir Singh Gangwa (Barwala, Hisar), Krishan Bedi (Narwana, Jind), Shruti Choudhry (Tosham, Bhiwani), Arti Rao (Ateli, Mahendragarh), Rajesh Nagar (Tigaon, Faridabad) and Gaurav Gautam (Palwal) were sworn in as ministers of state.
Among the newly appointed ministers, Anil Vij, Krishan Lal Panwar, Rao Narbir Singh, Mahipal Dhanda, Vipul Goel, and Krishan Bedi have served as ministers before. Ranbir Gangwa was the deputy speaker in the previous BJP government.
The new faces made ministers for the first time are Arvind Sharma, Shyam Singh Rana, Arti Rao, Shruti Choudhary, and Gaurav Gautam. The BJP did not adopt the deputy CM formula in Haryana as it did in UP, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh.
Nayab Saini, Rao Narbir Singh, Ranbir Gangwa, Arti Rao, and Rajesh Nagar are from the OBC community. Mahipal Dhanda and Shruti Choudhry are from the Jat community. Arvind Sharma and Gaurav Gautam are from the Brahmin community. Krishan Panwar and Krishan Bedi are from the SC community.
Anil Vij, Vipul Goel and Shyam Singh Rana represent the Punjabi, Vaishya, and Rajput communities, respectively.
Balancing act & district-wise representation
By inducting Arti Rao as a minister of state, Nayab Saini has tried to please Union minister Rao Inderjit Singh, who has a hold over 8 MLAs from South Haryana. At the same time, Saini has inducted his bete noire, Rao Narbir Singh, as a cabinet minister. No other MLA from the Rao Inderjit Singh camp is a part of the cabinet.
Chief Minister Nayab Saini comes from the Ladwa seat of Kurukshetra, and the Panipat district got the maximum representation in his council of ministers. Two cabinet ministers, Krishan Panwar and Mahipal Dhanda, are from the district.
Representing Faridabad is cabinet minister Vipul Goel and minister of state Rajesh Nagar. Ambala (Anil Vij), Gurugram (Rao Narbir Singh) and Sonipat (Arvind Sharma) are the other districts represented in Nayab Saini’s council of ministers.
Additionally, one each of the ministers of state are from Yamunnaagar (Shyam Singh Rana), Hisar (Ranbir Singh Gangwa), Jind (Krishan Bedi), Bhiwani (Shruti Choudhry), Mahendragarh (Arti Rao), and Palwal (Gaurav Gautam).
So, Haryana’s 12 districts got representation in the council of ministers sworn in on Thursday. But, 10 other districts, Panchkula, Charkhi Dadri, Fatehabad, Jhajjar, Rohtak, Kaithal, Karnal, Rewari, Nuh, and Sirsa, got no representation. Of these districts, Fatehabad, Jhajjar, Rohtak, Nuh, and Sirsa did not elect a single MLA from the BJP, but Karnal district gave all its MLAs to the ruling party.
Holding the “CM’s city” title for the past 10 years, the Karnal district did not get any representation in the present cabinet. First, Manohar Lal Khattar and, secondly, Nayab Saini, in his first term as CM, represented the Karnal assembly seat.
However, looking at the parliamentary constituencies, all 10 Lok Sabha seats in Haryana — Sirsa, Hisar, Bhiwani-Mahendragarh, Rohkak, Gurgaon, Faridabad, Sonipat, Kurukshetra, Karnal and Ambala — have been represented in Nayab Saini’s council of ministers.
(Edited by Madhurita Goswami)
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