Haryana: Congress to stake claim to form government

The Congress, which ended up six seats short of simple majority in the 90-member Haryana Assembly, will meet Governor Jagannath Pahadia here today to stake claim to form the government.

"We are going to meet the Governor shortly with letters of support of independent candidates and stake our claim," PCC chief Phool Chand Mullana told PTI here. Asked how many independents out of seven elected to the Assembly were with them, he said, "all of them are with us".

Mullana said yesterday it had been decided that chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda would meet the Governor with the letter of support of the independents, but because of his engagements in Delhi, he (Mullana) will meet the Governor. He also said the Congress legislature party meeting will be held here later in the day to elect its leader.

The Congress emerged as the single largest party with 40 MLAs followed by 31 of the INLD. Shiromani Akali Dal, INLD's ally, got one seat. Of the remaining 18 seats, Haryana Janhit Congress-BL, a new entrant in assembly polls, got six seats, BJP four, BSP one and independents seven.

Claiming the support of all seven Independent MLAs, the Haryana Congress, which is six short of simple majority in the 90-member state Assembly, today staked claim to form the next government in the state.

"In my capacity as HPCC President, I presented the Congress claim before the Governor of being the single largest party and also having the support of the seven Independents," he said.

The Congress emerged as the single largest party with 40 MLAs followed by 31 of the INLD. Shiromani Akali Dal, INLD's ally, got one seat.

Of the remaining 18 seats, Haryana Janhit Congress-BL, a new entrant in assembly polls, got six seats, BJP four, BSP one and independents seven.