Governor Vishnu Kant Shastri on Thursday invited Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav to form the government in Uttar Pradesh, ending a three-day political crisis triggered by the collapse of the Mayawati-led BSP-BJP coalition.
He has been given 14 days, after assuming the post of chief minister, to prove his majority in the state assembly, which the governor wants convened from September 2.
A day after 63-year-old Yadav submitted a letter to Shastri claiming support of 210 MLAs of various parties and independents in the 403-member House, the governor's principal secretary Shambhunath handed over a formal invitation (to form the government) at the latter's residence around 10 am on Thursday morning.
Yadav, who will become chief minister for the third time, will take oath on Friday at 0930 IST, his private secretary Jagjivan Prasad told PTI in Lucknow.
In the evening, Yadav was unanimously elected leader of the Samajwadi Party Legislature group.
The wrestler-turned-politician, who is not a member of either House of the bi-cameral state legislature, replaces Mohammad Azam Khan. Earlier, Khan had tendered his resignation to pave the way for Yadav.
At present, Yadav is a member of the Lok Sabha from Sambhal constituency.
The Samajwadi Party, which has 142 members in the House with an effective strength of 402, claims the support of the Congress (16), RLD (14), RKP (4), CPI-M (2) and smaller parties and independents (19 MLAs) besides 13 BSP MLAs.
Yadav had on Wednesday told the governor, who asked him to furnish a list of MLAs supporting him, that he would prove his majority on the floor of the House.
Yadav, who met Shastri at the Raj Bhavan on Thursday, later told reporters that the composition of his ministry would be finalised after his swearing-in at the sprawling Laxman Mela grounds at 0930 IST on Friday.
He said corruption charges against outgoing chief minister and BSP leader Mayawati would be probed as per the laws of the land but there would be no settling of political scores or a witch-hunt.
Rashtriya Kranti Party president Kalyan Singh, Rashtriya Lok Dal chief Ajit Singh, UP Congress president Jagadambika Pal, state Congress Legislature Party leader Pramod Tewari and SP general secretary Amar Singh were among those who accompanied Yadav to meet the governor.
Ajit Singh said all the parties joining the coalition government would sit together and finalise the size of the ministry.
The Congress Working Committee would decide whether the party should join the government, Pal said while the RKP is all set to join the government.
Meanwhile, the BJP termed as 'correct' and 'justified' the governor's invitation to Mulayam Singh Yadav to form the government.
BJP Legislature Party leader Lalji Tandon hoped the new government would not embark on a witch hunt and would strive to strengthen democracy.
This will be Yadav's third stint as chief minister. He had earlier held the post from December 1989 to May 1991 at the head of a Janata Dal government with outside support from the Congress. He lost power when the latter withdrew support.
After the dismissal of the Kalyan Singh government following the demolition of the Babri Masjid, Yadav entered into an electoral pact with the BSP and the combine came to power in 1993. Yadav became chief minister but the honeymoon did not last long due to several unsavoury incidents. The BSP withdrew support in 1995 ending Yadav's second stint as chief minister.
Sometime during the day, outgoing Chief Minister Mayawati had alleged that the BJP had conspired with the SP to oust her.