Haryana CM Saini allocates portfolios, keeps key home dept with himself

Over a week after Nayab Singh Saini took oath as the chief minister and days after he expanded his cabinet, Haryana Council of Ministers on Friday were allocated portfolios, with Saini keeping the key Home Department.

The portfolios were allocated late Friday night.

According to a government order, Chief Minister Saini will keep the Home, Revenue and Disaster Management, Youth Empowerment, Information and Public Relations and Languages and Culture, Mines and Geology and Foreign Cooperation departments.

In the previous Manohar Lal Khattar-led cabinet, the Home department was held by Anil Vij, who did not find a place in the Saini cabinet.

Cabinet Minister Kanwar Pal has also got key Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Animal Husbandry, Fisheries, Heritage and Tourism, and Parliamentary Affairs departments.

In the Khattar cabinet, Agriculture was held by J P Dalal.

Another cabinet minister Mool Chand Sharma, who held the Transport portfolio in the previous ministry, has been given industry and commerce, labour, Food Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs departments.

Ranjit Singh retained the Energy and Jails departments, which he held in the Khattar government as well.

In a surprise move last week, the BJP replaced Manohar Lal Khattar with OBC leader Saini as Haryana's chief minister in a swift switch in the state, just weeks ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.

Saini was sworn in as Haryana's new chief minister on March 12. Four BJP MLAs and one Independent also took the oath as members of the new council of ministers along with Saini on the same day.

On March 19, Saini later inducted eight BJP MLAs into his council of ministers, seven of them new faces, in its first expansion a week after he took charge replacing Manohar Lal Khattar.

The Saini government won the trust vote in a special session of the state assembly last Wednesday.