The process for government formation was in full swing on Friday in Kerala and West Bengal, while in Assam the newly elected BJP legislators are expected to meet on Sunday to elect Sarbananda Sonowal as the leader of the legislature party, formalising his choice as the new CM.
Communist Party of India (Marxist) Polit Bureau member >Pinarayi Vijayan will be the next Chief Minister of Kerala.>
Quick decision The CPI(M) State secretariat, which met in Thiruvananthapuram in the presence of party general secretary Sitaram Yechury and Polit Bureau member Prakash Karat, took barely a few minutes to arrive at the decision.
Announcing Mr. Vijayan’s choice in the presence of party veteran V.S. Achuthanandan and CPI(M) State secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, Mr. Yechury said though Mr. Achuthanandan had led the poll battle from the front, the party had decided to pick Mr. Vijayan as legislature party leader considering Mr. Achuthanandan’s advanced age and poor health.
“VS is like Fidel Castro for Kerala. He will continue to play that role. Like Castro, he will continue guiding and inspiring the party,” Mr. Yechury said.
A day after the landslide victory in the West Bengal Assembly polls, Trinamool Congress chairperson Mamata Banerjee was unanimously elected leader of the legislature party in Kolkata.
Later in the day, Ms. Banerjee met Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi and formally staked her claim to form the government. The new government will be sworn in on May 27, Ms. Banerjee said.
