Armed with BSP and SP support, Congress stakes claim in MP; Chouhan quits

Madhya Pradesh Congress president Kamal Nath has staked the Congress’s claim to form the government in the state. A Congress delegation led by Kamal Nath and including Digvijay Singh and Jyotiraditya Scindia met Madhya Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel today at noon. They had been invited to meet the Governor after the Congress emerged as the single largest party in the Assembly Election results yesterday.

Giving details of the meeting, Congress leader Narendra Saluja said, “We have met the Governor and staked claim to form the government, we have the support of 121 MLAs, the situation is clear. “

With Mayawati’s BSP and the Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party supporting the Congress, Kamal Nath asked the Governor for permission to form the government in the state. Governor Anandiben Patel had called the Congress leaders to the Raj Bhawan at noon for talks after the party had sought an appointment with her on the issue of government formation in the state.

Meanwhile, accepting the party’s defeat, chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan submitted his resignation to the Governor. “Ab mein mukt hoon, I am free. I have tendered my resignation to the honourable Governor. The responsibility of defeat is totally mine. I have congratulated Kamal Nath ji,” Chouhan said while addressing the media after tendering his resignation.

“We don’t believe in politics of ‘jod-tod’. No one has got the mandate but since we have also not got the mandate we didn’t stake claim to forming the government,” Chouhan said.

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Chouhan met the Governor shortly before Kamal Nath was to meet her and tendered his resignation to her.

The Congress had emerged as the election winner with 114 seats while the BJP had come second with 109 seats after a very tight contest. Even though it has won 114 seats, the Congress has still not managed to cross the majority mark. The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) leader Mayawati and Akhilesh Yadav have announced their support for the Congress in the state.

Earlier, addressing a press conference BSP chief Mayawati had said that her party, which had won 2 seats in the state, was going to extend its support to the Congress in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan “to keep the BJP out”.

Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar praised the Congress for its results in the elections and said that the party had been providing an alternative to the BJP.

“Congress has played an important role in giving alternative to BJP. Congress was receptive towards other small parties. BSP and SP should be a part of our alliance. They aren’t yet together with us. People have expressed displeasure on 4.5 years of BJP rule,” Pawar said.