Haryana CM Saini praises Khattar for works undertaken during his regime

Chandigarh: Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Wednesday praised his predecessor Manohar Lal Khattar in the state assembly for the works undertaken during his nine-year long tenure in the state.

Saini earlier moved a motion to seek a vote of confidence during the special session of the state assembly.

Speaking in the House, Saini said it is his first day in the House as the chief minister and the Leader of the House.

The chief minister recalled his previous tenure being a member of the House during 2014-2019.

"When I was the MLA from 2014-2019, during that time I was told that I had to contest the Lok Sabha polls. At that time, I was a minister in the Haryana government. When the party desired, I contested the Lok Sabha polls then. When the party entrusted me with the new responsibility, I am here to take up the latest assignment," he said.

Saini said he comes from an ordinary background and no other member from the family was in the political field.

"The party gave me great honour. When they made an ordinary member state unit president of the BJP and then entrusted responsibility of the chief minister. This is possible only in the BJP," he said.

Praising the former chief minister, Saini said that he has learnt a lot from Khattar.

He said that Haryana presented a good governance model in the entire country under Khattar's leadership, adding several developmental works were undertaken by his dispensation.

"I come from that family where I have seen hard life and Khattar too comes from a similar background, " he said.

Saini thanked the party leadership for entrusting him with the new responsibility.

"It is the BJP which gave this responsibility to an ordinary worker," he said.

Saini also described Khattar as a "tapasvi", who dedicated his life to serving the people of the state during the past nine-and-a-half years.

Even the opposition has been saying that Khattar enjoys a clean image, he said.

Saini talked about delivery of various services at citizens' doorsteps, especially the poor beneficiaries.

He said that the BJP government in the state had brought transparency in the administration.

He lauded Khattar for opening several portals for the benefit of citizens.

"Manohar Lal is a "saint" and he has given a lot to Haryana, strengthened it and it was his thinking that weaker sections and poor should get benefits at their doorsteps," he said.

Saini said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the 'Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao programme in 2015 and added the BJP government in the state took it as a pledge to ensure success of the programme.

He touched upon several other initiatives of the previous Khattar government for welfare of various sections.

"Haryana is the first state to procure 14 crops at MSP," said Saini.

The BJP named Saini as Haryana's new chief minister on Tuesday, hours after the surprise resignation of Khattar along with his cabinet ministers.

After taking oath in the evening, Saini said that they had presented a letter of support of 48 MLAs to the governor and asked him to convene an assembly session on Wednesday for the BJP government to prove its majority in the House.

The floor-test suggestion was made amid signs that the BJP-Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) alliance in the state might have ended, though there has been no formal announcement yet.