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BJP called to form new Indian government
March 15, 1998
Web posted at: 11:18 a.m. EST (1618 GMT)NEW DELHI, India (CNN) -- After days of political uncertainty, India's President K.R. Narayanan Sunday invited the Bharatiya Janata Party's prime ministerial candidate Atal Behari Vajpayee to form the next government.
The president's decision to call on the BJP to try to form the next government came after Sonia Gandhi -- the widow of assassinated Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and new head of the Congress party -- told the president that her party did not have the numbers to form the next government.
The president's decision ended days of intense political negotiations by the BJP and the Congress to secure support from smaller parties in order to build a workable parliamentary majority to guarantee a stable government.
The BJP, a key rival of Congress, had won the most seats in the February-March parliamentary elections but fell short of an absolute majority.
On Saturday, the BJP won support from the Tamil Nadu-based All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), which delivered the backing of 27 lawmakers it commands.
This had put the BJP alliance just eight seats short of a majority.
The AIADMK gave its support after it raised a string of tough demands on behalf of the southern Tamil Nadu state.
The demands reportedly included more water for Tamil Nadu from the disputed Cauvery River, a higher quota for low castes in government jobs and an enhanced official status for the Tamil language.
Related stories:
- Sonia Gandhi appointed head of India's Congress party - March 14, 1998
- Hindu nationalists on brink of power in India - March 10, 1998
- Politician holds sway in who will govern India - March 6, 1998
- Coalition strategies take shape in India - March 4, 1998
- India's Hindu nationalists post strong early returns - March 3, 1998
- First exit polls in India put BJP in lead - February 28, 1998
- India appears headed for coalition government - February 28, 1998
- India's Hindu nationalists win local confidence vote - February 26, 1998
Related sites:
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- Bharatiya Janata Party,India
- Press Trust of India
- Indian Politics: The Economic Times
- Hindustan Times
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