Cong to form govt in HP and Modi to take oath as Guj CM

Cong set to form govt in HP; Modi to take oath as Guj CM on 25th Dec

In Himachal Pradesh, political activities within Congress gear up to elect leader of newly elected MLAs. Riding an anti-incumbency wave and staving off corruption charges against its veteran leader Virbhadra Singh, Congress wrested power from BJP in Himachal Pradesh with an absolute majority of 36 in the 68-member Assembly. BJP, which suffered from severe infighting and rebel candidates, got only 26 seats. The Independents, mostly BJP and Congress rebels, won five seats while Himachal Lokhit Party floated by BJP dissidents won one seat. In Gujarat, Narendra Modi is set to take oath as CM for third time on 25th December. Surmounting incumbency factor, Narendra Modi scored a hat-trick, catapulting BJP to power in Gujarat for the fifth consecutive time. Modi led the party to a resounding victory by capturing 115 seats in the 182-member Assembly. BJP is in power in the state since 1995. Congress secured 61 seats, while Sharad Pawar's NCP, in alliance with Congress, won two. Gujarat Parivartan Party led by Keshubhai Patel, a former BJP Chief Minister, bagged only two, while JD(U) and an Independent won a seat each. Addressing people, Narendra Modi dedicated his victory to good governance and development.