Manmohan appointed PM for second term

New Delhi, May 20 (PTI) Manmohan Singh was Wednesday
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 in Parliament she has
handed over a letter to the President stating that "the leader
of the Parliamentary Party in Parliament to head the
government is Dr 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.

The Prime Minister said the coalition has 274 members
including four independents who are part of the Congress-led
pre-poll alliance.

"We have the support of SP, BSP and RJD whose number adds
up to another 48. All this adds up to 322," he said.

Asked about details of composition of the ministry, Singh
said "we will talk in greater detail later."

A Rashtrapati Bhawan communique later said that Singh and
Gandhi staked claim to form the government and handed over to
the President letters of support extended to them by various
political parties and others.

"The President having satisfied herself on the basis of
the various letters of support received that the Congress-led
UPA alliance, which is also the largest pre-election alliance,
is in a position to command majority support of the
newly-constituted 15th Lok Sabha and to form a stable
government, appointed Dr Manmohan Singh as the Prime Minister
and requested him to indicate the members of the new Council
of Ministers," it said.

The President will administer oaths of office and secrecy
on Friday May 22 at a mutually convinient time which will be
decided soon. PTI ACB SKU
HMK
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