Along with seven Independent candidates, Haryana Lokhit Party's Gopal Kanda has emerged as kingmaker in the Government-formation exercise in the State.
One Congress rebel, Ranjeet Singh and six BJP rebel candidates Rakesh Daultabad, Balraj Kundu, Nayan Pal Rawat, Randhir Singh Gollen, Sombir and Dharam Pal Gonder are now sort of kingmakers in formation of the next Government.
Defying exit poll predictions of a one-sided sweep by the ruling BJP, Haryana Assembly election results presented a hung house. With 40 seats, BJP emerged as the largest party but fell six short of the halfway mark. The Congress won 31 seats, the Dushyant Chautala-led Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) 10, the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) and Haryana Lokhit Party one each.
Independent candidate Ranjeet Singh, son of former Deputy Prime Minister Devi Lal who does not see eye to eye with his brother and former Haryana Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala, won the Rania seat. He sought a Congress ticket to fight the election, but when denied, fought as an independent and won. Chautala lost twice from Rania in the past and Congress denied him ticket this time. He contested as an Independent and won the seat by a margin of 19,431 votes defeating Haryana Lokhit party candidate Gobind Kanda. Congress choice Vineet Kamboj came fourth. At Delhi's Haryana Bhawan on Friday, he pledged support to the BJP saying: "I have openly said that I extend my support to BJP".
Nayanpal Rawat is a BJP rebel. He had sought a BJP ticket from Prithla but was denied and launched a campaign against the party. Awarding ticket to Sohan Pal cost the party dear when Rawat defeated the Congress candidate by 16,429 votes and the BJP candidate came an embarrassing third.
Balraj Kundu winning from Meham constituency is another BJP rebel. The chairman of the Zila Parishad before resigning, he had sought a BJP ticket.
When the BJP fielded Shamsher Kharkara, he chose to fight as an Independent and emerged triumphant. Kharkhara came third. But now, with changed political realities, it was just a matter of time before Kundu pledged support for BJP. He won by a margin of 12,047 votes.
Independent candidate and BJP rebel Dharampal Gonder who won from Nilokheri (SC) made the contest triangular. He is an old BJP worker and knows the people of the segment as well as the problems of the area very well.
Independent candidate Sombir Singh won from Dadri by a margin of 14,272 votes. He defeated Satpal Sangwan of JJP and International wrestler Babita Kumari Phogat of BJP.
Sombir fought as an Independent after BJP chose Olympian Babita.
Rakesh Daultabad from Badshahpur defeated saffron party’s Manish Yadav by 10,000 votes.
Dharam Pal Gonder was also expecting the BJP ticket. After being denied the ticket, he fought as an Independent from Nilokheri and defeated the BJP candidate by a margin of 2,222 votes. He too is a BJP rebel and had fought both the 2009 and 2014 assembly election but only tasted defeat. In both the elections, he ended up as the first runner up. This time, he fought on his own and his win has brought great relief for the saffron party just in the right time.
BJP rebel Randhir Singh Gollen, who won by a margin of 12,824 votes from Pundri, reduced the BJP nominee to third position.
Gopal Kanda of HLP defeated his nearest rival Gokul Setia, an Independent, by a slender margin of 602 votes from Sirsa.
Incidentally, in 2009 when the then Chief Minister and senior Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda was short of numbers, he too had leaned on Kanda for support in forming the government. Hooda had appointed Kanda as a minister in his government, but had to quit later.
