'Slim majority not an issue'

With his unanimous election by the state Congress, Oommen Chandy, 68, is set to have his second stint as the chief minister of Kerala. HT reports.

With his unanimous election by the state Congress, Oommen Chandy, 68, is set to have his second stint as the chief minister of Kerala. On Sunday, he met Governor RS Gavi to stake claim to form the government. The swearing-in is to be held on Wednesday.

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Chandy was elected by the Congress legislative party (CLP) on Sunday and the choice was later ratified by party chief Sonia Gandhi. Hours before the meet, the other contender, Pradesh Congress Committee chief Ramesh Chennithala, made it clear that he would support Chandy and stay away from the ministry. All India Congress Committee general secretaries Madusoodan Mistry and Mohsina Kidwai attended the meeting.

Chandy's earlier stint as the chief minister came when AK Antony quit the post in 2004. He occupied the post for 16 months."I will live up to the people's need for a change. If we work hard, simple majority will not pose any problem," he said after the CLP election.