Haryana: All about Gopal Kanda - Jailed in 2012, 'Kingmaker' in 2019?

Even as BJP eyes forming a government in Haryana, a photo has surfaced of former state minister Gopal Kanda allegedly flying to Delhi with five independent MLAs, reportedly to talk with the BJP. Kanda had earlier announced that he will back the BJP and claimed that he has 5 independent MLAs by his side. As per the Election Commission, BJP has won 39 seats in the state, while Congress has won 31 seats. The BJP is also leading on one final seat out of 90. Dushyant Chautala's JJP, meanwhile, has won 10 seats. In such a delicate scenario where BJP has already stated its intent to form a government in the state and Congress is eyeing an alliance with JJP, INLD and anyone who is not a part of the BJP, Gopal Kanda's role becomes crucial. 

A picture of Kanda with 5 MLAs, in a flight allegedly to Delhi, went viral on Thursday as reports came in that he is scheduled to meet BJP president Amit Shah. Speaking to ANI, Kanda'a brother Gobind Kanda, said: "2009 has repeated itself in 2019. Instead of Congress, it is BJP today, with victory on 40 seats. Gopal Kanda has left for Delhi with 6 MLAs. They will form BJP's govt."

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With Gopal Kanda fashioning himself as a 'kingmaker' for the BJP in Haryana, here is a brief history of who he is:

Gopal Kanda is a former Haryana minister who was accused of abetting suicide of a young air hostess who worked for his aviation company in 2012. He spent time in jail in the case. Kanda was part of the Hooda cabinet and was believed to have been among the people who made Hooda CM in 2009. Notably, on 6th September 2013, Gopal Kanda walked into the Haryana assembly and then BJP MP Anil Vij, who is now a Haryana cabinet minister, asked the then Congress government “Why don’t you expel him?” -- on the floor of the house.

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Gopal Kanda in Assembly polls 

Haryana Lokhit Party (HLP) candidate Gopal Kanda defeated his nearest rival Gokul Setia, an Independent, by a slender margin of 602 votes from Sirsa in the Haryana Assembly polls on Thursday, according to the Election Commission (EC) office. Popular Haryanvi singer Sapna Chaudhary, who joined the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) recently, had campaigned for Kanda, leaving her party red-faced. A former minister, Kanda is an influential politician in Haryana. His name had come up in a case of suicide by a woman employee of his airline company. A video message of Chaudhary seeking support for Kanda had gone viral on the social media, catching the attention of BJP leaders, days before the polling on October 21. The saffron party had fielded Pradip Ratusaria from Sirsa. 

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