BJP MLA Harvinder Kalyan has been unanimously elected as the Speaker of the Haryana Assembly. The announcement came on Friday during a session where Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini proposed Kalyan’s name, which was seconded by fellow BJP MLA Ranbir Gangwa.
Kalyan, a three-time MLA representing Gharaunda in Karnal district, takes on this pivotal role following the administration of oaths to newly elected MLAs of the 90-member Assembly. Protem Speaker and senior Congress leader Raghuvir Singh Kadian officiated the oath-taking ceremony.
After assuming the Chair, Kalyan received congratulations from a broad spectrum of legislators, including Chief Minister Saini, Congress MLAs such as Bhupinder Singh Hooda, and INLD MLAs Aditya Devi Lal and Arjun Chautala.
The session also included the swearing-in of Saini and other newly elected MLAs as part of the 15th state Assembly. Saini, who became the Haryana Chief Minister on October 17, was the first to take the oath administered by the Protem Speaker. This was followed by the oath-taking of his council of ministers, which included notable figures such as Anil Vij, Krishan Lal Panwar, Rao Narbir Singh, and several others.
Among the newly sworn-in ministers, Barwala MLA Ranbir Gangwa and Narwana MLA Krishan Kumar Bedi took their oaths in different languages, with Bedi choosing Sanskrit and Gangwa opting for English. The women MLAs also participated in the ceremony, with representatives from both the BJP and Congress taking their oaths.
Notably, Congress MLA and Olympian wrestler Vinesh Phogat made a memorable statement post-oath, exclaiming “Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan, Jai Khiladi, Jai Naujawan and Jai Haryana,” while wearing her sports jersey.
The October 5 Haryana Assembly elections resulted in the BJP securing a third consecutive term, winning 48 seats, while the Congress garnered 37 seats. The INLD managed to secure two seats, and three Independents were also elected.