Haryana polls: BJP gets support of BSP, 3 Independents

CHANDIGARH: Mayawati's Bahujan Samaj Party and three Independent legislators today extended support to BJP, which will stake claim to form the next government in Haryana after their victory in Assembly elections.

BSP's Tek Chand Sharma, the lone party legislator to be elected from Prithla seat, and three Independent MLAs Ravinder Machrouli (Samalkha), Rais Khan (Punhana) and Dinesh Kaushik (Pundri), handed over their letters of support to Haryana Governor Kaptan Singh Solanki when BJP delegation went to him to stake claim to form the next government in the state.

BJP, which wrested power on its own by winning 47 seats in the 90-member Haryana Assembly, would have a combined strength of 51 in the House.

The Opposition in the House would comprise of INLD (19), INC (15), HJC-BL (2), SAD (one) and two Independents.

The lone BSP legislator defeated his nearest rival BJP's Nayan Pal Rawat by 1,179 votes from Prithla Assembly constituency. BSP is not a part of the saffron paty-led NDA Government at the Centre.

Manohar Lal Khattar was elected Leader of BJP LP at a meeting of 47 newly-elected MLAs here earlier today paving the way for his becoming the first chief minister of the saffron party in Haryana.