Cong stakes claim to form govt in Rajasthan

Yash Goyal
Jaipur, December 12

After a daylong exercise and taking opinions of elected MLAs at PCC headquarters here, the Congress on Wednesday staked a claim to form government in Rajasthan.

A Congress delegation led by Avinash Pandey, AICC general secretary and incharge, an observer  K K Venugopal, PCC president Sachin Pilot and former CM Ashok Gehlot met Governor Kalyan Singh and submitted a letter to this effect. 

“We will go and meet Congress president Rahul Gandhi tomorrow in Delhi where the President will decide the name of Chief Minister,” Pandey told media after coming out of Raj Bhawan.

Earlier in the day, Congress Legislature Party (CLP) which held meeting under the chairmanship Pandey,  Venugopal made a single line resolution authorising Gandhi to take a final decision, the party sources said. 

The resolution has been communicated to the party high command, they said, adding the observer and incharge have conveyed the opinion and views of newly elected MLAs. 

CLP members  also had one to one conversation and expressing their views to the AICC team in a closed door. 

The Congress has emerged as the single-largest party in Rajasthan winning 99 seats, and one of its alliance partner Subhash Garg of RLD who won from Bharatpur seat. BJP has shrunk to 73. BSP which has three MLAs in previous assembly is just doubled to six, CPI-M made fresh entry with two MLAs, Independents 13 and others 6.