Maharashtra BJP leader's son shoots self, critical

Nikhil Khadse, the son of Maharashtra's opposition Leader Eknath Khadse of the BJP, shot himself at his home in Muktainagar in Jalgaon Wednesday afternoon, a party official said.

He has sustained bullet injuries in the head and his condition is reported to be critical.

Nikhil was rushed to a local hospital by his family members and some party activists.

The motive behind the drastic step is not known, though it is rumoured that Nikhil was not keeping well for over a year.

Eknath Khadse was not at home at the time of the incident, an official of Bharatiya Janata Party told IANS, preferring anonymity.

Nikhil, in his mid-30s, is a member of the Jalgaon Zilla Parishad, around 415 km to the east of Mumbai, and had contested the 2009 Maharashtra assembly elections.