Congress stakes claim for govt formation : Uttarakhand

The Congress has staked claim to form a government in Uttarakhand. Congress leaders met Governor Margaret Alva on Friday and claimed to have the support of 4 independent MLAs, who accompanied them.

The Congress had won 32 seats in the Uttarakhand Assembly elections. With the support of 4 independents, the party has crossed the halfway mark of 35 in the 70 member Assembly.

Sources say Harish Rawat is the front-runner for the chief minister’s post.

Party General Secretary Ghulam Nabi Azad will be in Dehradun on Friday to asses the situation.

In a press conference post the meeting with the governor, Congress MLA Kharak Singh Rawat said, “We met the governor today.”
Congress General Secretary Choudhry Virendra Singh added, “Congress will give a stable government in Uttarakhand that will work for development.”

He said, “Being the largest party in the house, it is our democratic right to give a stable government in the state. I appeal the independents to support the secular forces in the state to provide a stable government in the state.”

“We are hopeful of completing the process of government formation at the earliest,” he said.

He further said that the Congress had not yet decided on the chief ministerial candidate.

Alva said that she will invite Congress for government formation as and when it decides upon its leader.