The 60-year-old Khattar, a first-time MLA from Karnal and a non-Jat leader known to be close to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, was administered the oath along with nine ministers by Governor Kaptan Singh Solanki at a function attended by a galaxy of BJP leaders including the PM, party chief Amit Shah, union ministers, chief ministers of BJP ruled states and veterans L K Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi.
The six cabinet ministers are Kavita Jain, state BJP president Ram Bilas Sharma, Abhimanyu, Om Parkash Dhankar, Anil Vij and Narbir Singh. Three others - Vikram Singh Thekedar, Krishan Kumar Bedi and Karan Dev Kamboj -are ministers of state (independent charge).
Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, whose party Shiromani Akali Dal had opposed the BJP during the assembly elections despite being an National Democratic Alliance constituent, also attended the ceremony.
Among union ministers who were present were Home Minister Rajnath Singh, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, Power Minister Piyush Goyal, Food Minister Ram Vilas Paswan, Minister of Shipping and Transport Krishan Pal Gujjar, Minister of Women and Child Development Maneka Gandhi, Minister of State of External Affairs V K Singh and Minister of Chemicals and Fertilizers Ananth Kumar.
Chief ministers of BJP ruled states including Madhya Pradesh’s Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Vasundhara Raje from Rajasthan and Gujarat CM Anandiben Patel were also present on the occasion.
In a departure from the past, the oath-taking function was held at Panchkula instead of Chandigarh, the common capital of both Haryana and Punjab.
Khattar is Haryana’s first non-Jat chief minister in nearly two decades. Jats have for long dominated politics in the state.
Fadnavis to be Maharashtra's next CM
Devendra Fadnavis was on Tuesday elected by the Bharatiya Janata Party legislators as the new chief minister of Maharashtra.
The BJP elected Fadnavis as its legislative party leader in the presence of the central observers, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and party general secretary JP Nadda.
The swearing-in ceremony of the chief minister will take place on Friday at the Wankhede stadium.
Meanwhile, on the eve of the BJP legislature party meeting, the meet between the Shiv Sena and the BJP remained inconclusive. BJP has told Shiv Sena that any decision on ministries can be decided later and they would have to first declare unconditional support. Sena, it may be noted had been seeking plum ministries.
Also, NCP, which had offered support to BJP after the poll result, said it would have no problem if Shiv Sena joins the government.
"We will not be part of the government but do not want to create instability by voting against a minority government. So, NCP will abstain, if there is voting," party spokesman Nawab Malik said.
Sena has of late softened its stand against the BJP with an editorial in its mouthpiece Saamna on Monday saying that the party was ready to back any BJP CM.
Sena leaders also hinted of a possibility of their joining the government later on.
The BJP leaders have described Sena as their "natural" partner pointing out its member Ananth Geete remains a member of Union Cabinet.
