BJP stakes claim to form HP government
Bharatiya Janata Party president Prem Kumar Dhumal today met Himachal Pradesh Governor V S Rama Devi at Raj Bhavan to stake his party's claim to form the government. He was accompanied by Himachal Vikas Congress party president Sukh Ram. The Congress has already staked its claim to form the government in the state.
The newly-elected BJP members had met earlier and elected Dhumal as their leader.
Dhumal went to the Raj Bhavan and met Governor V S Rama Devi to stake his claim to form the government. The Congress has also staked its claim to form the government.
In the assembly elections, the Congress got 31 seats, the BJP 29 and Sukh Ram's HVC four. An
independent was also elected to the assembly.
Dhumal was unanimously elected as leader of the BJP legislature party at a meeting of the elected members presided over by party national vice president K L Sharma.
Sharma later said former minister Kishori Lal proposed Dhumal's name while J P Nadda, Kishen
Kapoor and Vidya Sagar seconded it.
Sharma said Dhumal had called on the governor in the morning and, if necessary, he would again meet her to press the BJP's claim to government-formation.
He said the lone independent who was elected to the assembly from Jawalamukhi, had expressed his willingness to support the BJP.
In reply to a question, Sharma said there was no need to parade the members before the governor in order to convince her of the BJP's majority support. The majority would be proved on the floor of the House, he said.
Sharma said there was no risk of Sukh Ram withdrawing his party's support to the BJP later. The former Union minister has set no conditions for extending support to the BJP, he said.
UNI
Elections '98
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