Haryana: Manohar Lal Khattar set for a new-look team in second innings

GURUGRAM: The new cabinet is likely to be full of new faces despite BJP and Manohar Lal Khattar taking guard for their second innings, reflecting the changed political realities of the state — most ministers losing their re-election bids, BJP failing to cross the majority mark on its own, and a coalition regime taking charge.

The Haryana assembly has 90 seats, which means there can only be 14 ministers in the government, including the CM and deputy CM Dushyant Chautala, leader of BJP’s alliance partner JJP. This leaves 12 vacancies to be filled. Apart from Dushyant himself, two others from his party are likely to get a cabinet post. The name of Ram Kumar Gautam, who defeated former finance minister Captain Abhimanyu from Narnaund is likely to find mention in the list of ministers. The other could be Dushyant’s mother Naina Chautala, who won from Badhra. If an MLA from the schedule caste quota from the JJP camp were to be made a minister, it could be Ishwar Singh from Guhla or Anoop Dhanak from Uklana.

“We will get to know who makes it to the cabinet after November 4,” Chautala told TOI on Tuesday after he and CM Manohar Lal Khattar had their first cabinet meeting (the cabinet at present is a two-man one). In the meantime, hectic parleys are on.

Seema Trikha from Badkhal in Faridabad, the only woman BJP MLA to have retained her seat, is a strong contender for a cabinet berth but her appointment will eventually depend on whether Naina is inducted into the ministry or not.

Former health minister Anil Vij (Ambala Cantt) and public health minister Banwari Lal (Bawal) are virtually assured of ministry berths since the two were the only ministers to win.

There could be change of speaker as well. Former speaker Kanwar Pal could be replaced by either Panchkula MLA Gian Chand Gupta or Kamal Gupta from Hisar. Kanwar Pal could be made a minister instead.

Keeping caste and regional considerations in mind, sources said Abhe Singh Yadav from Nangal Chaudhry and Ghanshyam Saraf from Bhiwani could find their name in the list of ministers as well. Some Independents too might find be inducted, just in case the coalition finds itself in troubled waters at a later stage, in order to keep them happy. Among these could be Nayan Pal Rawat from Prithla, who contested as a rebel after BJP denied him a ticket and won.