New Delhi, Oct 25 (IANS) Bhupinder Singh Hooda has been chosen for the second time to be the chief minister of Haryana. The decision was announced by the Congress party high command here early Sunday morning after a day-long suspense over the matter.
Sources in the Congress earlier during the day said that party president Sonia Gandhi was busy consulting various leaders before the name of the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader, who will be the next chief minister, was announced.

Though caretaker Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda’s name continued to be in the front, there was also a speculation about the Congress MP from Ambala and Union Minister for Tourism Kumari Selja running for the post.

The Congress in Haryana had Friday staked claim before Governor Jagannath Pahadia after it got the support of all seven independent candidates who won the Oct 13 assembly election.

The Congress bagged 40 seats in the 90-member assembly and fell six seats short of a simple majority in the house.

Hooda had led the party government in the state since March 2005 and had got the previous assembly dissolved seven months ahead of schedule to seek early assembly poll.

The Congress wanted to cash on its nine seats out of 10 success in the May Lok Sabha poll.