Khanduri stakes claim to form the next government

Dehradun, Mar 1 (UNI) Newly elected leader of the BJP Legislature Party in Uttarakhand Maj Gen (Retd) Bhuwan Chandra Khanduri tonight met Governor Sudarshan Agarwal and stake his claim to form the next government in the hill state.

According to the party sources, Maj Gen Khanduri along with state party chief Bhagat Singh Koshyari submitted the list of the newly elected party legislators as well as letters of support from two Independents.

The Governor is likely to extend the invitation to form the government once the Election Offices issue notification on election results tomorrow.

Earlier, the former Union Minister was unanimously elected leader of the BJP Legislature Party after a five-hour meeting of the party MLAs at a hotel here.

The BJP had won 34 seats out of 69 for which election was held.

The party needed just one MLA to gain a simple majority in the 70-member House.

UNI