Chandigarh: The recent Haryana legislative assembly elections have seen the BJP form a new government in the state while making history by securing 48 seats. This is also the first time when BJP has come out victorious with a full majority in Haryana after ten years of domination.
He made a very contentious choice of assigning portfolios to the new ministers in the Cabinet.
Although, Anil Vij was one of the main contenders for the Chief Minister’s position; he was a senior leader who was also a part of the previous government, he was not even offered a top position. Instead, Vij has been entrusted with three key ministries: They fall under Transport, Labour, and Energy. The Home Ministry which was with Vij earlier with Khattar leading Haryana as the Chief Minister has been handed to Saini Singh, the new Chief Minister of Haryana.
Out of the party, Vij’s exclusion has created unrest within the party as well as its supporters. Various sources state that Vij thought he could be appointed the new Chief Minister as he had more years of experience in the state government than the incumbent. Still, the BJP high command decided to put Saini Singh in a commanding position, thus setting aside Vij’s ambitions.
Anil Vij; the frustration and political response
Anil Vij has gone on the record as having complained about the decision and feeling that he deserved better due to his hard work and rank. After the cabinet announcement Vij stopped going to the legislative party’s meeting and detached himself from Home Ministry. Also, he does not get into the Saini cabinet, continuing his attitude of dissatisfaction.
Vij had always declared that he wanted to be the Chief Minister of Punjab and establish his dominance over the regional party. Before the elections, he said that in case the high command stood by him to be the Chief Minister, the oath would be taken at home only. This, however, was not to be the case because he remained frustrated as this promise was not realized.
This Arithmetically = Mathematically BJP’s strategic coup in Haryana
The BJP’s success in Haryana has proven that the party has adopted a very good electoral plan as it scored a decisive win making it easy to gover With 48 seats it has a clear mandate, including ones which are more sensitive, showing that it has broad appeal to select constituencies.
Naib Singh Saini was re-elected as the leader of the legislative party in the meeting of the legislative assembly and was swear-in as the Chief Minister. This decision has ability to politically shift the BJP in favor and more importantly, this decision shows BJP’s faith on Saini Singh’s leadership & strategic planning for the state.
Future Prospects of BJP Leadership in Haryana
This exclusion could ensure that Anil Vij becomes a liability for Dushyant Chauhan in the event that the latter becomes successful in the race for the Chief Minister position since this development may cause internal conflict within the BJP Haryana unit. To do this, Vij is very vocal and has expressed the desire to be the prime minister of the party, which may cause some cracks or shifts within the party as a new government begins.
It shall be interesting to observe how Singh will be handling state affairs, and in case of an internal conflict within the party, to ensure that there is unity and everyone is geared towards the general governance of the state. The effectiveness of the BJP in managing these internal factors will determine whether the party will continue to gain electoral dominance, and whether it can effectively govern the country.
The formation of BJP government in Haryana and more particularly the recent victory have brought a drastic change in the state politics. Currently, Saini Singh is the head of the government, but at the same time, sidelining of Anil Vij shows the internal politics of the party, as well as that seniors or experienced candidates are sometimes not given due importance amid treating the party’s strategic directions. The upcoming months will be paramount in defining the solidity and productivity of the Haryana under Saini Singh’s leadership and the ways the BJP will keep the internal strife at bay while responding to the demands of Haryana electorate.