Days after a Delhi court acquitted Haryana Lokhit Party (HLP) president and Sirsa MLA Gopal Kanda in a 2012 abetment to suicide case of a flight steward Geetika Sharma, the MLA on July 28 visited Chief Minister Manohar Lal.
Mr. Kanda tweeted that he called on Mr. Lal to discuss matters relating to the State and Sirsa district. However, the meeting fuelled speculation of his induction into the Haryana Cabinet.
“Met honourable Chief Minister Manohar Lal at Haryana Bhawan in Delhi. The roads, canals and storm water projects of Sirsa were discussed. The Chief Minister showed positive attitude towards the development projects,” read the tweet, with a picture of the duo from the meet.
A BJP source said a Cabinet reshuffle could not be ruled out as there is a need to balance the caste and regional equations ahead of the elections next year and Mr. Kanda is expected to lobby for his inclusion in the Cabinet.
Following the Haryana Assembly polls in 2019, the HLP had announced its support to the Bharatiya Janata Party government. The BJP had not acknowledged the support formally due to the pending criminal case against Mr. Kanda, until his party was officially welcomed into the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) earlier this month.
A. Vaishya, a prominent non-Jat leader in Sirsa, enjoyed a good rapport with Mr. Lal and could be key to the BJP’s expansion in the district, the source added.
