New Elections Likely in India
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NEW DELHI — India appeared likely to call new elections after Congress Party leader Sonia Gandhi gave up Sunday on trying to form a new government.
Ousted Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee met with President Kocheril Raman Narayanan, but it did not appear that the ceremonial chief of state had given Vajpayee the nod to try again at forming a government. If so, that would force India to call its third election in as many years.
India’s political turmoil began April 17, when Vajpayee’s Hindu nationalist-led coalition failed to win a majority in Parliament. Since then, Congress, the second-largest party, has been trying to persuade the many fractious opposition parties to back it in a new government.
On Sunday, Gandhi informed Narayanan that she was giving up the attempt.
“I told the president that I tried my best, but I have not been able to get enough support,” Gandhi told reporters after the meeting.
Gandhi was 40 lawmakers short of forming a Congress-led majority in the 543-seat lower house.
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