After Bihar polls Modi likely to focus on Haryana which exemplifies the classic case of de facto and de jure Leadership.

Gustakhi Maaf, Haryana-Pawan Kumar Bansal

After the Bihar elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to turn his attention to Haryana, particularly the issue of Union Minister Manohar Lal’s role in the state government. The recent suicide of ADGP Y. Puran Kumar has caused immense embarrassment to the Haryana government and Chief Minister Nayab Saini, to the extent that PM Modi had to cancel even his visit to the state.

Haryana today exemplifies the classic case of de facto and de jure leadership. Though Nayab Saini holds the constitutional position of Chief Minister, Manohar Lal continues to call the shots. Officers seek directions from him, and even businessmen approach him for favours. As the MP from Karnal, he certainly has the right to visit his constituency, but he must not forget that he is now a Union Cabinet Minister with significant national responsibilities.

In the Y. Puran Kumar suicide case, Manohar Lal’s actions have placed CM Nayab Saini in an acutely embarrassing position. He visited the mortuary at PGI Rohtak, where the post-mortem of Rohtak Cyber Police ASI Sandeep Kumar was being conducted, met the bereaved family, and announced that the deceased’s wife would be provided a government job—an announcement that is solely the Chief Minister’s prerogative.

Though Manohar Lal once enjoyed PM Modi’s full confidence, and their relationship dates back when Modi was incharge of Haryana and Manohar Lal. Organising. Secretary of Haryana unit of the party but the latter evidently recognised that he had become a liability in Haryana and replaced him as Chief Minister with Nayab Saini.Modi is getting feedback from intelligence agencies and from his own sources that Manohar Lal is not allowing Naib Saini to work independently.