Senior Congress leader Kamal Nath will be sworn in as the 18th chief minister of Madhya Pradesh on December 17. Governor Anandiben Patel invited Nath, 72, to form the new government in the state after he met her at the Raj Bhavan here Friday to stake claim to form the government.

"As the leader of the single largest party, I appoint you as the chief minister of under Article 164 of the Constitution and invite you to form a cabinet," she said in a letter to Nath after their meeting which lasted around 50 minutes.