Harvinder Kalyan elected Speaker of Chandigarh Assembly

Three-time BJP MLA Harvinder Kalyan from Gharaunda in Karnal district has been elected unopposed as the new Speaker of the Haryana Assembly. The nominations were proposed by Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini and seconded by Cabinet Minister Ranbir Singh Gangwa. Pro-tem Speaker Raghuvir Singh Kadian announced Kalyan’s appointment after insisting there was no opposition from other parties. Kalyan, 57, is now the 18th Speaker of the 15th Haryana Assembly.

Political journey and background

Born in Kutail village in Karnal, Kalyan started his political career with the Youth Congress and later joined the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), where he contested but lost in the 2009 Assembly elections. He joined the BJP in 2014, winning his first seat when the party assumed power in Haryana. After that, he won his seat in elections 2019 and 2024. Kalyan, an engineering graduate from Maharashtra's Amravati University, has declared assets of around Rs 7 crore in his latest affidavit filed with the Election Commission.

Family legacy in public service

Kalyan is known for his no-nonsense approach, having previously served as the CEO of Haryana State Co-operative Supply and Marketing Federation Limited (HAFED) chairman. His family has a strong public service background; His father Devi Singh Kalyan was the CEO of Haryana Agro Industries Corporation Ltd. chairman. His elder brother Devendra Kalyan is a serving IRS officer in Haryana. Kalyan’s wife Reshma is the daughter of Manohar Nayak, a seasoned MLA in Maharashtra’s Pusad assembly.