Clearing confusion of who would be the Jannayak Janata Party's choice for deputy chief minister, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar announced on Saturday that Dushyant Chautala would get the post. Khattar will take oath for his second straight term as Haryana chief minister on Sunday.
Khattar made the statement after meeting Haryana Governor Satyadeo Narain Arya in Chandigarh. He was accompanied by Dushyant Chautala and Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad. Khattar told mediapersons that “The governor has accepted our proposal and invited us [to form the government]. I have tendered my resignation, which has been accepted. Tomorrow at 2:15pm, oath-taking ceremony will be held at Raj Bhavan. Dushyant Chautala will take oath as deputy CM.”
Earlier in the day, Dushyant had announced the JJP party executive would decide on who would be deputy chief minister. The JJP and BJP had announced an alliance on Friday night after BJP chief Amit Shah met Dushyant. PTI reported that Dushyant's mother, Naina Chautala, also an MLA, could be nominated for the post of deputy chief minister.
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Meanwhile, in an interesting development, Ajay Chautala, father of Dushyant and husband of Naina, has been granted furlough by Tihar Jail for a period of 14 days. Ajay Chautala was jailed along with his father, Om Prakash Chautala, after they were convicted in January 2013 by a court in Delhi for allegedly taking bribes for recruitment of teachers. According to media reports, Ajay Chautala could be released by Saturday evening or Sunday morning.
Ajay had been expelled from the INLD in August 2018, shortly after Dushyant was thrown out. Dushyant formed the JJP later that year.