The stage is set for formation of Congress-led Governments in Maharashtra and Arunachal Pradesh. The party has also staked its claim to form Government in Haryana where it is six seats short of absolute majority. Haryana Congress Legislature party has authorised the AICC President Sonia Gandhi to nominate its leader. A resolution to this effect was passed unanimously at the first meeting of the newly elected MLAs in Chandigarh last night. Briefing the media, Party Central Observer Prithviraj Chavan said that they will meet the Party MPs from Haryana in Delhi after which Sonia Gandhi will take the final decision. According to party sources the incumbant Bhupinder Singh Hooda is the front runner for the top slot. The party which was six short of simple majority had staked claim to form the govrnment with the support of independents.Indian National Lok Dal (INLD), President Mr. Om Prakash Chautala also said he would stake claim to form government on the basis of the combined strength of the Opposition and the support of Independents. The INLD has won 31 seats.On the other hand, the Congress Legislature Party meeting will be held in Mumbai this afternoon to elect a new leader to set in motion the process to choose the next Maharashtra chief minister. The meeting will be held in the presence of AICC observers,Defence Minister A K Antony, who is Congress General Secretary in charge of Maharashtra, Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha K Rehman Khan and senior leader Digvijay Singh.Though the present incumbent, Ashok Chavan, remains the frontrunner for the Chief Minister's job, some other leaders are also in the fray including Industries Minister Narayan Rane, Revenue Minister Patangrao Kadam, Union Minister Gurudas Kamat and Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee President Manikrao Thakare. Former Chief Ministers and Union Ministers,Vilasrao Deshmukh and Sushil Kumar Shinde have ruled themselves out of the chief ministerial race.The Congress, with 82 seats emerged as the single largest party and its ally NCP bagged 62 seats in the 288-member House.
News On AIR | October 24, 2009 11:04 AM
Congress stakes claim to form Govt in Haryana