In a development following several twists, Rajesh Khullar has finally been appointed as the Chief Principal Secretary to Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini. The official order confirming his appointment was issued late on Monday night by Chief Secretary TVSN Prasad (IAS:1988:HY). However, the latest order comes with two significant changes from the previous one issued on October 18.
Firstly, Khullar’s appointment this time does not carry the rank and status of a cabinet minister, unlike the earlier decision. Secondly, while the original order specified that Khullar’s tenure would be co-terminus with the Chief Minister’s term, the revised directive now states that his tenure will be co-terminus with the Chief Minister’s term or until further orders, whichever comes earlier.
Additionally, the order highlighted that the “rest of the terms and conditions of his appointment will be issued separately.”
As previously reported, there was opposition from senior BJP leaders in Haryana regarding Khullar being granted cabinet status, leading them to raise the issue with the party’s central leadership. On October 18, CM Nayab Singh Saini was in Delhi to meet with top BJP leaders, and sources suggest that discussions around Khullar’s appointment and status were part of the talks, leading to the delay in finalizing the decision. The reconsideration of Khullar’s term being directly linked to the Chief Minister’s tenure was also reportedly part of this review.
