Chandigarh: Manohar Lal Khattar took oath as Haryana chief minister for the second time on Sunday and will lead the BJP-JJP coalition government in the state.
JJP leader Dushyant Chautala took oath as the deputy chief minister.
Haryana Governor Satyadeo Narain Arya administered oath at a ceremony held at the Raj Bhawan here on Diwali day.
BJP working president J P Nadda, Punjab Governor V P Singh Badnore, former Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal, Union ministers Krishan Pal Gurjar, R L Kataria, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jairam Thakur, former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal were present on the occasion.
Jannayak Janta Party leader Dushyant Chautala’s father Ajay Chautala, who stepped out of the Tihar jail on Saturday on a furlough, also attended the event.
Dushyant Chautala’s mother Naina Chautala, who has been re-elected MLA for the second time, was also present.
Ajay Chautala is lodged in the Tihar jail in Delhi after his conviction in a teachers’ recruitment scam.
The BJP had on Friday sealed a deal with the JJP to form the next government in Haryana after the saffron party fell short of six seats from the majority mark.
In the 90-member assembly, a minimum strength of 46 MLAs is required to form the government.
Also read: Dushyant Chautala is the new kingmaker in Haryana politics and is more than his surname
The era of lamppost CMs is over. Appointees will have to prove their worth, as seen in Maharashtra. For other states, it should not be a point of prestige to continue with those found lacking in governance qualities. Unemotional mid term reviews, followed by remedial action. The burden of winning the next general election, in all fairness, will have to be equitably shared.