Chautala to be Haryana CM for fifth time

Chautala to be Haryana CM for fifth time
PRESS TRUST OF INDIA

CHANDIGARH, FEB 27: Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) president Om Prakash Chautala was on Saturday unanimously elected leader of the party's legislature group paving the way for his being sworn-in as Haryana Chief Minister for the record fifth time.

``Following the unopposed election of Chautala as leader of the INLD legislative party by all the 47 party MLAs who were declared elected on Friday, he will be sworn in as chief minister of the state on March two at Kurukshetra'', a party spokesman said here following the first meeting of party MLAs at Chief Minister's residence.

After his election as the INLD Legislative Party leader, Chautala congratulated all colleagues for their impressive performance in the elections and said Governor Mahabir Prasad had agreed to his request for permission to take oath at Kurukshetra on March two.

The Chief Minister had on Friday said he favoured a small ministry and invited alliance partner BJP, which fared poorly in the polls, to join his ministry.

The mood at Chautala's residence was festive with thousands of party workers from across the State coming to congratulate their leader for winning a majority on his own.

The name of Chautala was proposed by him number two in the ministry and finance minister Prof Sampat Singh and seconded by ministerial colleague Dhirpal and Krishna Panwar.