Nayab Saini takes oath as Haryana CM amid NDA's show of strength

Saini took oath in presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, 13 Chief Ministers who are parts of the ruling NDA, which is led by the BJP.

Apart from Saini, several other ministers including popular face Anil Vij also took oath on Thursday.

The swearing-in ceremony took place on the occasion of Valmiki Jayanti, the birth anniversary of Hindu epic Ramayana's author, Maharishi Valmiki.

In Haryana, the BJP won 48 out of 90 seats while the Congress improved its tally from previous elections but stopped at 37 seats leaving 3 seats for Independents and 2 seats for INLD.

The BJP won the elections under Saini's leadership even after the Congress, which has improved its performance in the state, was favoured by all exit polls in winning the polls.

Eyeing to keep up the pressure on the Opposition after BJP's massive victory in Haryana, the NDA will hold a meeting of all chief ministers and deputy chief ministers from the coalition on Thursday.

The meeting, which comes ahead of the Maharashtra and Jharkhand Assembly elections, will be chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, and BJP President JP Nadda will attend the meeting among others.

The meeting's agenda is India's development and celebrating the Constitution and the "year of 50th anniversary of the attempt to murder democracy" - a reference to the Emergency - which is seen as being aimed squarely at the Congress and the opposition INDIA alliance.

The BJP alone has 13 chief ministers and 16 deputy chief ministers.