Punjab: Amarinder elected as CLP leader; swearing-in on March 16

CHANDIGARH: The Congress, which swept the Punjab assembly elections, on Sunday formally elected Amarinder Singh as the head of the Congress Legislature Party (CLP). Amarinder later met Punjab Governor V.P. Singh Badnore and stalked claim to form the next government in the state. "We have staked claim to form the next government. The swearing in will take place on March 16," Amarinder told media after his meeting with the Governor. This is the second time that Amarinder will become Chief Minister of the state. He had remained Chief Minister from 2002-2007. Amarinder said that a few cabinet members will also take oath of office along with him, but did not give any details. The newly elected Congress legislators met here on Sunday to elect the CLP leader. After the meeting authorised Congress President Sonia Gandhi and Vice President Rahul Gandhi to take a decision on the new leader, Congress general secretary Asha Kumari called up Rahul to apprise him. She later informed the MLAs that Rahul Gandhi had proposed the name of Amarinder Singh as the new CLP leader and the Congress MLAs subsequently unanimously elected Amarinder as their leader by a show of hands. Outgoing Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal earlier in the day submitted his resignation to the Governor after the Shiromani Akali Dal-BJP alliance lost in the assembly elections. The Governor asked Badal to continue as caretaker Chief Minister till the new government was sworn-in.