Manmohan meets President to form govt

Manmohan Singh was today appointed Prime Minister for a second consecutive term, for which he will be sworn-in on May 22, after the UPA coalition staked its claim to form the government with the backing of 322 MPs.

Apparently in view of the comfortable numbers the coalition has in the 543-member Lok Sabha, the President has not asked the Prime Minister to prove his strength in the House.

"I have pleasure to appoint you the Prime Minister and request you to advise me on the names of the others to be appointed to the council of ministers.

"I propose to administer the oath of office and secrecy to you on Friday, 22nd May 2009 at the Rashtrapati Bhawan at a mutually convenient time," President Pratibha Patil said in her letter handed over to Singh when he called on her along with UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi.

Reading out the President's letter, Singh said "you will come to know in due course of time" when asked whether MPs outside the pre-poll allies would included in the new ministry.

Gandhi and Singh called on the President after a meeting of the UPA attended only by leaders of Congress and its pre-poll allies at the 10 Janpath residence of the party president, who was re-elected coalition chairperson.

She told reporters outside Rashtrapati Bhawan that as chairperson of the Parliamentary Party she has handed over a letter to the President stating that "the leader of the Parliamentary Party in Parliament to head the government is Manmohan Singh. The President handed over the letter to Dr Manmohan Singh".

"My heartiest felicitations to you on being chosen as the Leader of the Congress Parliamentary Party. Having regard to the fact that you are the leader of the single largest party and the largest pre-poll formation, I have the pleasure to appoint you the Prime Minister and request you to advice on the names of the others to be appointed to the Council of Ministers," the President's letter said.