M A I N   N E W S

Modi invited to form govt
Prashant Sood
Tribune News Service

Ahmedabad, December 18
Gujarat Governor Sunder Singh Bhandari today formally invited designate Chief Minister Narendra Modi to form government. Earlier, senior BJP leaders, including party’s Gujarat chief Rajindersinh Rana, Chief Minister designate Narendra Modi and former Chief Minister Keshubhai Patel met the state Governor  S S Bhandari in Gandhinagar to stake their claim to form the next government.

Mr Rana handed over a letter to the Governor, informing him that Mr Modi had been elected leader of the BJP Legislature Party.

Mr Modi later said he would talk to the Leader of the Opposition over convening a meeting of the new Assembly before the year-end.

The swearing-in ceremony will take place in Ahmedabad on December 22. Meanwhile, Mr Amarsinh Chaudhary is likely to be elected leader of the Legislature Congress Party at a meeting of the newly-elected party MLAs in Gandhinagar tomorrow. Other office-bearers of the legislature party will also be elected at the meeting.

PCC chief Shankarsinh Vaghela said today that AICC secretary Shelja would be the central observer for the meeting. Mr Vaghela announced the acceptance of the resignation of PCC spokesman Hansmukh Patel. He said five leaders, Mr Ashokbhai Patel, Mr Barbant Marwar, Mr Ganpat Naik, Mr Chando Bhai and Mr Veeram Chaudhary had been issued show-cause notices for breaching party discipline.