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Karunanidhi invited to form Govt

      Chennai/Thiruvananthapuram: A day after regional Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) swept polls in Tamil Nadu, Governor Surjeet Singh Barnala invited party chief M Karunanidhi to form government in the State on Friday. 82-year-old Karunanidhi will be sworn in as the Chief Minister on Saturday. Barnala invited Karunanidhi as the latter called upon him to stake claim for forming the government. Meanwhile, Congress- an ally of DMK in the State, pledged full support to Karunanidhi. "We have also assured him our unconditional support for the formation of the government by him under the DMK leadership. We have pledged and that kind of letter will be given by Congress president Krishnaswany within half an hour," said Verappa Moily, senior Congress leader, after meeting Karunanidhi. DMK-led Democratic Progressive Alliance (DPA) won 163 seats in the 234-strong assembly. The All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazgham, headed by outgoing chief J Jayalalithaa who resigned immediately after the results were announced, could manage only 68 seats.

Congress' 'unconditional support' to DMK

     Chennai: With the Dravida Munnetra Kazagham (DMK) emerging as the single largest party in Tamil Nadu assembly elections, the Congress on Friday emboldened DMK's spirits by its offer of extending unconditional support in forming ministry in the state. However, it was still not clear whether the Congress would join the government or not. Congress Working Committee (CWC) member in charge of Tamil Nadu Veerappa Moily called on DMK president M Karunanidhi this morning and informed him of the party's decision. Later, speaking to newspersons, Moily said that the Congress would also want the DMK to extend support in Pondicherry. According to party sources, the Congress legislature party is expected to meet later today to discuss the possibility of joining the government.

    The DMK, headed by four-time Chief Minister Karunanidhi, having won 96 seats in 234-member house, needs another 22 to get a simple majority. The pre-poll combine of DMK-led Democratic Progressive Alliance (DPA) won a handsome 163 out of the total of 234 seats, ousting All India Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) supremo and Chief Minister Jayalalithaa. DMK ally Congress won 34 seats and other allies such as the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) won 18 seats, Communist Party of India-Marxist 8, CPI 6 and Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK) 1. PMK and Left parties have already informed state Governor S S Barnala that they would extend outside support to a DMK ministry. A minority government headed by Karunanidhi is to be sworn-in on Saturday. Meanwhile, newly elected DMK MLAs are meeting today to formally elect Karunanidhi as their legislature party leader, who would later stake his claim to form a ministry, when he meets the Governor. Karunanidhi recorded his hat-trick win from Chepuak constituency winning by a margin of 8,522 votes. It is also for the first time that Tamil Nadu Assembly would have a strong opposition with AIADMK winning 61 seats and its allies Marumalartchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) and Dalit Panthers of India (DPI) six and two each.

Kerala CM Chandy resigns

      Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy today submitted his resignation after the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) led Left Democratic Front (LDF) emerged victors by securing a majority in the Kerala assembly elections. Chandy submitted his resignation to Governor R L Bhatia, who asked him to continue till the new ministry assumed office. Chandy also met Congress party workers at the KPCC office before submitting his resignation. Chandy owned the responsibility for the defeat of Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) but denied any anti-government wave in the assembly polls. According to him, the front has accepted the verdict of the people. For the ninth consecutive time, Chandy won from the Puthupally assembly seat in Kottayam district by a handsome margin of over 19,000 votes defeating his CPI-M rival Sindu Joy. In the landslide victory, LDF won 98 seats in 140 member Kerala assembly. Even as octogenarian VS Achutanandan has emerged as the frontrunner for the post of Chief Minister, the CPI (M) Politburo will meet on Saturday to decide the candidate for the coveted post.

BPPF-H wants five ministries in Assam

      Guwahati: A day after the Congress party in Assam emerged as the single largest party with 53 seats in the 126- member assembly, Bodo People's Progressive Front-Hagrama faction (BPPF-H) president Hagrama Mohilary today demanded five ministers in the new cabinet as a pre-condition for participation in the government. "We will demand at least five ministries. Out of them two can be State and three have to be Cabinet Ministries. Our first and foremost demand will be to see the implementation of the accord. We want that our candidate be made a Deputy Chief Minister and that the Home ministry be allotted to us. But this is only vague at the moment, we are yet to discuss these demands with the Congress," Mohilary said. Mohilary met supporters and received floral bouquets and congratulations at the BPPF-H office. It may be recalled that Mohilary had led the outlawed Bodo Liberation Tigers (BLT) and the BPPF-H was formed only a year ago after New Delhi signed a peace accord with the rebel group. The fractured mandate in which the BPPF-H has bagged 12 seats makes it a crucial ally to the Congress whose tally is down from 71 in the last assembly elections by 18. The BLT, unlike other guerrilla groups operating in Assam, was not fighting for secession but a homeland for the ethnic Bodo tribe within the Indian union.