Day after party, partners say: Prime Minister Sonia

Clearing the decks for Sonia Gandhi to become the country’s new Prime Minister, Congress’ pre-poll partners and Left parties tonig...

Clearing the decks for Sonia Gandhi to become the country’s new Prime Minister, Congress’ pre-poll partners and Left parties tonight unanimously asked her to form the next government at the Centre.

At a dinner meeting at Sonia’s 10, Janpath residence, her name for Prime Minister was proposed by DMK chief M Karunanidhi and endorsed by RJD president Laloo Prasad Yadav, NCP chief Sharad Pawar and all present.

Also there was ‘‘uninvited’’ guest Amar Singh of Samajwadi Party who had turned up with Harkishen Singh Surjeet of CPI(M).

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Sonia Gandhi is expected to call on the President tomorrow and stake claim to form the government.

Congress sources indicated that she would probably be sworn in on Wednesday. ‘‘The Constitutional procedure would take its course once the President constitutes the 14th Lok Sabha,’’ Congress leader Manmohan Singh said.

The resolution endorsing Sonia Gandhi’s name for the top job was passed after a series of meetings at 10, Janpath where she first met her pre-poll allies and later the Left parties. Manmohan Singh said the discussions today also concerned formation of a coordination committee and its chairmanship. Congress leader Pranab Mukherjee has been appointed to coordinate with the allies on a Common Minimum Programme, the draft for which is still being prepared. All allies have been asked to submit their manifestoes and the first draft of the CMP is expected in a couple of days.

	But not all are ready to work under her

	• Left parties: CPI(M) central committee sharply divided on issue of joining Sonia-led govt. Left decision on participation likely Monday • DMK: M Karunanidhi pledges support to Sonia-led coalition but wants time to decide on joining it • MDMK: Vaiko says MDMK (four MPs) will not join govt, offers external support • NCP: Praful Patel says party has not yet made up its mind on joining govt • CPI(A): Wants berth in govt, Pawar as Deputy PM Story continues below this ad

Most pre-poll allies of the Congress have given their letters of support for the formation of a Sonia-led government. These include the DMK, PMK, RJD, NCP, JMM and PDP. The CPI said it would hand over its letter of support tomorrow. The CPI and CPI(M) are yet to make up their mind on the issue of participating in the government. A decision is expected tomorrow.

The talking point this evening was the move by Surjeet to bring SP’s Amar Singh and Rashtriya Lok Dal leader Ajit Singh to 10, Janpath. Surjeet has been urging the Congress to consider inducting SP into the coalition. The Congress hesitation was apparent from the fact that the dinner invitation list did not include leaders of the SP and BSP.

On whether the SP was ‘‘invited,’’ Manmohan Singh was evasive: ‘‘They were present.’’

But he said that ‘‘all those present’’ had pledged their support to the Congress-led coalition and a formal name for the alliance would be decided only after the Left takes a decision on the issue of participating in the government.

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On the possibility of SP joining the government, he said: ‘‘We would like all constituents to join the government but it would be decided separately.’’

Earlier in the day, DMK chief Karunanidhi met Sonia Gandhi and left open the possibility of his party being part of the government ‘‘at a later stage.’’ It’s learnt that one of the first demands of the DMK has been to demand a ban on POTA and resolution of the Cauvery water dispute. Similar demands were put forth by MDMK chief Vaiko.