Why Nayab Singh Saini is taking oath as Haryana CM on October 17

Union Minister Amit Shah greets Nayab Singh Saini after he was once unanimously elected as BJP's legislature party leader in Haryana, in Panchkula. PTI

The Bharatiya Janata Birthday celebration’s (BJP) Nayab Singh Saini is all set to take oath as Haryana’s chief minister for a second straight term at present time (October 17). He was once chosen as the leader of the Haryana BJP Legislature Birthday celebration on Wednesday, within the presence of central observers Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav in Panchkula.

Later, Saini, Shah and other senior party leaders met Haryana Governor Bandaru Dattatraya to stake a claim to form the emblem new government. A couple of top BJP leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and chief ministers of the BJP-ruled states, are expected to attend the swearing-in ceremony in Panchkula.

Over a dozen MLAs are also susceptible to take oath as ministers, together with the manager minister.

#WATCH | Chandigarh: Haryana caretaker CM Nayab Singh Saini, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Union Minister-former CM Manohar Lal Khattar, Union Minister and BJP election to blame for Haryana - Dharmendra Pradhan and others meet Governor Bandaru Dattatraya and submit a letter of… p.c.twitter.com/wW7G2bdz8M— ANI (@ANI) October 16, 2024

But why has the BJP picked October 17 for the Haryana government’s oath-taking ceremony? Let’s take a closer look.

What’s on October 17?

This year, Valmiki Jayanti is being celebrated on October 17. Maharishi Valmiki, a sage and poet, was once the author of the Hindu epic Ramayana, whose birth anniversary is marked every year by some Dalit communities.

Or not it might probably be far also observed as “Pargat Diwas” by the Valmiki religious community.

The Haryana government has declared October 17 a public holiday in view of the Valmiki Jayanti.

In January, the BJP named the Ayodhya International Airport after Maharishi Valmiki saying it would “disseminate a message of truth, morality and spirituality in society”.

Speaking in regards to the importance of Maharishi Valmiki to the BJP’s politics, Manohar Lal Khattar, when he was once Haryana’s CM, had said, “Antyodaya and social harmony is our government’s motto. Maharishi Valmiki’s vision of Ram Rajya is being upheld by the governments led by the BJP as we work towards development. Maharishi Valmiki’s teachings play a really important role in making the United States an international power. Valmiki ji had written texts reminiscent of Ramayana and Yogavashistha, that are gems within the field of literature, society and religion.”

BJP’s comeback in Haryana

The BJP’s unexpected victory in Haryana is historic. Or not it might probably be the first time a party has come to power for a 1/3 straight term within the state. Defying exit polls, the saffron party bagged forty eight of the ninety Assembly seats within the hot elections.

All three Self reliant MLAs have also extended their support to the BJP.

This comes just months after the saffron party won only five of the ten Lok Sabha seats in Haryana, indicating a turnaround within the Assembly polls.

The surprise win is a lift to the saffron party’s morale earlier than the November Assembly polls in Maharashtra and Jharkhand.

The BJP’s victory in Haryana is credited to its ability to consolidate the votes of Dalits and Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in its favour, while the Congress was once heavily reliant on Jats, who make up about 27 per cent of the electorate.

The Scheduled Castes (SCs) comprise nearly 20 per cent of Haryana’s population, while OBCs account for nearly 30 per cent of the people. Saini, who was once declared the BJP’s CM face earlier than the Assembly elections, also belongs to the OBC community.

The BJP won eight out of the 17 SC-reserved seats within the Haryana Assembly polls.

As per Indian Express, the Haryana government’s welfare initiatives reminiscent of providing gas cylinders for Rs Five hundred and Lado Lakshmi Yojana helped it win women voters from Dalit and OBC categories. “The BJP is one party that has always given due respect to the downtrodden, the poor, the backward classes, and Dalits. Unlike other political parties who showed off about reaching out to these categories, the BJP took a couple of initiatives for them since coming to power in 2014,” a senior BJP leader told the newspaper.

The saffron party’s internal surveys reveal that its move to unite the OBCs and Dalits against the Jat community helped it in Haryana. “We use the identical strategy in Maharashtra where the dominant Maratha community appears to be backing the opposition alliance,” a BJP leader told The Telegraph.

Outreach to Dalits

The BJP’s announcement of the date of the Haryana CM’s oath-taking ceremony coincided with the day of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat’s Vijayadashami address on Saturday when he normally often often called for a fresh outreach to Dalits.

He alleged an effort by the “deep State” to divide the United States on caste lines. “Why should Valmiki Jayanti be celebrated only in Valmiki colonies? Valmiki wrote the Ramayana for the total Hindu society, and such festivals should therefore be celebrated together by the total Hindu society. We (the RSS) will go to society with this message,” Bhagwat said, as per The Telegraph.

The BJP believes that the opposition’s accusations that the party would end reservations if it returned to power with a whopping 400 seats dashed its chances within the Lok Sabha polls, putting off its majority within the lower house.

In line with The Telegraph, the BJP and RSS are attempting to woo Dalits to bring them less than the wider Hindutva umbrella to counter the opposition’s demand for a nationwide caste census.

Speaking on the occasion of Valmiki Jayanti, Amit Shah has previously stressed out that all of the Modi government’s schemes are geared toward making improvements to the socio-economic conditions of Dalits and the poor.

The saffron party is on the path to win back Dalit voters. The Haryana CM taking oath on Valmiki Jayanti appears to be one such move.

With inputs from agencies