Decision on Uttarakhand CM soon: Rawat

New Delhi, Mar 12 (ANI): Senior Congress leader Harish Rawat, one of the contenders for the top post in Uttarakhand, on Monday said that a decision would be reached soon by the party high command and the chief minister would be appointed soon.

"I do not know the exact details, but we are hopeful that the chief minister (of Uttarakhand) can be appointed today. We are hoping, if not today then latest by tomorrow," said Rawat.

Reasserting his party's position, Rawat said that the Congress Party is prepared to face any by-elections whether in the state or at the federal level.

"The Congress Party is quite confident of winning any by-election whether it is the by-election of state assembly or it is the by-election of parliament. There is no issue regarding who will win the by-election if it takes place," he said.

Meanwhile, Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad said talks with the newly elected legislators in northern Uttarakhand state had concluded and they would soon announce the name of the chief minister.

"BSP (Bahujan Samaj Party) has also extended their support. There is no problem, as I told you that day before yesterday we were talking to each individual MLA and we were done with that by evening, and we couldn't talk to our members of parliament, and two or three independent MLA's who are supporting us and yesterday we finished that task also," he said.

In the 70-member Assembly, Congress has emerged as the largest party with 32 MLAs and has the support of three independent MLAs and one from UKD. The Bahujan Samaj Party, having strength of three members, has pledged its unconditional support to Congress, raising its tally to 39. (ANI)