Armed with 8 Independents, Khattar set to stake claim

New Delhi: The BJP, which is six short of majority in Haryana, got a shot in the arm on Friday as tainted MLA Gopal Kanda and seven other Independents extended their support to Manohar Lal Khatar to form a BJP government in the state.

Reports suggest that Manohar Lal Khattar may stake claim to form the government on Friday evening itself, armed with support from Independent.

Apart from former Minister Gopal Goyal Kanda, who also served under Bhupinder Singh Hooda's Congress government, Dharmapala Gondan, Nayanpal Rawat, Somveer Sangwan, Rakesh Daulatabad, Randhir Goundal, Balraj Kundu and Ranjit Chautala also extended their support for the BJP government.

Late on Thursday, 53-year-old Kanda flew to Delhi in a chartered flight for a meeting with the top BJP leadership.

Once in news for allegedly forcing two women to commit suicide, the former Haryana Minister Gopal Goyal Kanda is back as the kingmaker, who sources suggest, is leading the pack of the Independents, most of whom are BJP turncoats.

It was just after six months of air-hostess Geetika's death, that her mother killed herself too, blaming Kanda and his aide of abetting her daughter's suicide.

An accused in the case, Kanda remained in jail for a year and a half and was granted bail in March 2014, and the charge of rape was dropped by the Delhi High Court.