Dehradun : Congress state leaders, led by party Uttarakhand incharge, Chaudhary Virender Singh today met governor Margaret Alva and staked claim to form the government in the state, having forged the required strength of 36 MLAs for a simple majority in a House of 70.
The Congress leaders were accompanied by the three independent MLAs, Mantri Prasad Naithani, Harish Chandra and Dinesh Dhaini and the lone UKD-P legislator, Preetam Singh.
The Congress won 32 seats and with the support of the four MLAs, has the requisite numbers to form the government.
However, despite the four MLAs being trooped before the governor, where they committed support to the Congress part, Margaret Alva was non-committal on telling the party to form the government.
She probably wants to wait and see whether the BJP, which has a strength of 31 also stakes its claim to form the government. The remaining three MLAs are of the BSP.
Later talking to newspersons Virender Singh said that the party had staked its claim to form the government nand was now waiting for word from the governor.
The three independent MLAs, and also the UKD-P legislator have promised unconditional support to the Congress in forming the government, which the party appreciates, he added.
He said that the Congress legislator party at its meeting held on March 7 had through a one-line resolution authorized the AICC president, Sonia Gandhi to nominate the leader of the CLP.
“However, a national observer, Ghulam Nabi Azad will be reaching the city tomorrow where he will have a one-to-ne with the party MLAs on the leader of the CLP, whixch will then be conveyed to the party high command”, he added.
Virender Singh said that he was hopeful that the formation of the new Congress government in the state will be done in the next three or four days and it will meet before March 31 to pass the vote for account.
A journalist with over 40 years of experience, Jagdish Bhatt was Editor, Hill Post (Uttarakhand).
Jagdish had worked with India’s leading English dailies, which include Times of India, Indian Express, Pioneer and several other reputed publications. A highly acclaimed journalist, he was a recipient of many awards
Jagdish Bhatt, aged 72, breathed his last on 28th August 2021 at his Dehradun residence.
