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Governor invites Gupta to form government in UP

Decks were cleared for the installation of a new Bharatiya Janata Party-led coalition government headed by Ram Prakash Gupta in Uttar Pradesh today as he was formally invited by Governor Suraj Bhan to form the new government tomorrow.

The swearing-in ceremony will take place at 1730 hrs.

In the morning, Gupta was unanimously elected BJP's legislature party group leader. The election was held in the presence of, among others, BJP president Kushabhau Thakre and party general secretary in-charge of UP K N Govindacharya.

Outgoing chief minister Kalyan Singh proposed Gupta's name and it was seconded by Kalraj Mishra, Lalji Tandon, Om Prakash Singh, Ramapati Shastri and Vindhya Vasini Kumar.

After the nearly 70-minute-long meeting, Gupta and state party chief Rajnath Singh drove down to the Raj Bhawan along with senior party leaders and formally informed the governor about the election of Gupta as the leader of BJP's legislature party.

Rajnath Singh, accompanied by leaders of allied parties -- the Uttar Pradesh Loktantrik Congress, the Jantantrik Bahujan Samaj Party, the Samata Party and the Janata Dal (Rajaram) and two unattached members and the independents -- gave the governor a list of the legislators supporting Gupta.

Singh said the governor was told the new leader enjoyed majority support and the number was likely to be more than what it was last time.

He said the governor was satisfied and promptly invited Gupta to take oath as the 19th chief minister of the state.

Later, talking to newsmen, the chief minister-designate, said the number of ministers to be sworn in along with him would be finalised by tomorrow.

UNI

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