Magic figure missed, Cong, BJP hunt for partners

Newly elected Congress legislators in Uttarakhand on Wednesday passed a resolution requesting party president Sonia Gandhi to appoint leader of the legislative party.

They met at the residence of state party president Yashpal Arya. Six chief ministerial candidates including Union minister of state Harish Rawat, Arya and Tehri MP Vijay Bahuguna discussed the party’s strategy before passing the resolution.

Congress leaders said the party had required numbers to form the government. “We are in touch with the independent MLAs and are hopeful of getting support,” Arya said.

In the house of 70 legislators, the BJP has 31 while the Congress 32 MLAs, falling short of the requirement by five and four, respectively.

The Uttarakhand Kranti Dal (P), which has one MLA, is thinking of supporting the Congress.

Sources said both the BJP and Congress had approached the BSP, which has 3 MLAs.

The top leadership of the BJP met its legislators early in the day and considered options on government formation.

Like the Congress, former chief minister Bhagat Singh Koshyari also said the BJP had the required numbers and would stake claim to form the government.

“We are at par with the Congress, we will definitely stake claim to form the government,” said Koshyari after coming out of the meeting attended by former BJP president Rajnath Singh and outgoing chief minister BC Khanduri, among others. Later Khanduri called on governor Margret Alva and tendered his resignation.