Khattar has to deal with Vadra and other issues
With a new Government taking charge in Haryana on October 26, the people of the State have many firsts to consider, because these firsts will in all likelihood have a bearing on the governance model that shall unfold in the weeks to come. It is for the first time in 18 years that the State has a non-Jat Chief Minister in Mr Manohar lal Khattar. The break from the past will translate into a Government that will be less inclined to overplay the Jat card at the expense of other castes and communities. In other words, Mr Khattar's regime will reach out to all sections of the society in its drive for ‘development of all and appeasement of none'. This is not to say that the Jat factor has been rendered irrelevant; after all, prominent Jat leaders have found a place in the ministry. But the Government will no longer be ‘Jat-driven'. It is also for the first time that the Bharatiya Janata Party has formed a Government in the State on its own majority, and does not have to depend on an ally to manage governance. Its decisions to break ranks with Mr Kuldeep Bishnoi's Haryana Janhit Party and to keep a distance from Mr Om Prakash Chautala's Indian National lok Dal have paid dividend. Unfettered from coalition compulsions, Mr Khattar and his team are in a better position to realise the dreams of the people of the State who voted so decisively for the BJP. It also means there would be no excuse for failure. Needless to add, it is also for the first time that the BJP has enhanced its vote share — to more than 32 per cent. The Assembly seat number at 47 could have been better, given that the party came a very close second in as many as 17 Assembly constituencies. What this translates on the ground is that the BJP has established a massive base in the State, which will both help the Government and impose a greater responsibility on it. Mr Khattar is a no-nonsense leader with an RSS background, and he has worked closely with Prime Minister Modi in earlier assignments. Backed by Mr Modi and the Union Government, he is expected to steer Haryana on the path of growth and ensure transparency in governance.
Among the issues on which he has to take a call sooner than later, besides that of creating a blueprint for the economic growth of the State and implementing it, is the controversial land deals of Mr Robert Vadra. Given the political sensitivity of the issue, Mr Khattar will have to tread carefully so that the rival parties are not able to present a credible case of political vendetta and exploit the matter. The Congress has already reacted sharply to remarks that a few Ministers have made on the day they were sworn in, that the Government will actively pursue the alleged illegalities in the matter. If Mr Khattar goes about the task in a dispassionate manner and leaves the law to take its course, the Congress's rant, and those of its friends and allies, will have no substance. The BJP had made the Vadra deals one of its poll issues, and it certainly remains a ‘hot’ subject in Haryana. There is no reason why the new Government in the State should be overly defensive. If there is a fair investigation — and there should be — it cannot be termed as a ‘witch-hunt'. It’s a word the Congress has already begun to throw around since losing power in the State.