NEW DELHI: Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini has emerged as the hero of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) historic victory in Haryana, leading the party to an unprecedented third consecutive term in the state. Saini, known for his unwavering confidence, successfully turned the tide despite exit polls predicting a tight race with the ruling party barely crossing the 30-seat mark.
In the run-up to the results, Saini remained optimistic, stating, “Exit polls have their own theory, but we work on the ground. Our leaders are directly connected with the people, and the people of Haryana want the BJP to come to power for a third time.” His prediction proved accurate, as the BJP secured a clear majority.
Saini’s rise to the top was swift. As the first OBC leader to become Haryana’s chief minister, he took over the reins in March of this year, just ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. This came after the BJP decided on a course correction by replacing Manohar Lal Khattar, who had held the chief minister’s post for nine and a half years. While the move did little to boost BJP’s performance in the national elections, it clearly paid off in the assembly polls, where Saini led the party to its best-ever performance in Haryana.
In his short tenure, Saini worked tirelessly to counter anti-incumbency by addressing key issues and implementing populist measures. He introduced reservations in government jobs and a special quota for Agniveers in the state, and raised the annual income limit for the creamy layer from Rs 6 lakh to Rs 8 lakh. His outreach efforts, particularly toward the Other Backward Classes (OBCs) and Scheduled Castes (SCs), were seen as crucial in mitigating a perceived Jat consolidation behind the Congress.
Interestingly, the BJP’s campaign strategy in Haryana this time took a departure from its usual focus on Prime Minister Modi’s slogans and guarantees. While Modi provided overall direction, he held fewer rallies than in previous assembly elections, allowing Saini to take center stage.
Saini’s political journey began with a loss in the 2009 assembly elections from Naraingarh to Congress’s Ramkishan Gurjar. However, he bounced back in 2014, winning the same seat and later becoming a minister. In 2019, he secured a resounding victory in the Kurukshetra Lok Sabha seat by a margin of over 3.83 lakh votes. Saini, who won from the Ladwa constituency, attributed the party’s success to Prime Minister Modi’s leadership. “I give full credit to Modi ji. With his blessings and guidance, the people of Haryana have endorsed the government’s policies,” he said.
With this victory, Nayab Singh Saini has firmly established himself as a key leader in Haryana’s political landscape, securing his place in the BJP’s growing legacy.
