Sonia, Manmohan to meet Indian Prez to stake claim

New Delhi, May 20 (PTI) With a comfortable majority in
the Lok Sabha (Lower House of Indian Parliament), UPA
Chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh will meet Indian
President Pratibha Patil to stake claim to form the new
government.

This was decided unanimously at a meeting of the
leaders of the United Progressive Alliance in which Gandhi was
re-elected its Chairperson.

At a meeting of the Congress and its pre-poll allies
at her residence, Gandhi's name was proposed by Dravida
Munnetra Kazhgham (DMK) chief M Karunanidhi and seconded by
Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee.

TC, with 19 MPs, and DMK with 18 are the two large
constituents of the UPA coalition after Congress which has won
216 seats. The coalition has already received support of a
large number of parties and it has now the backing of around
315 MPs, much higher than the required 272 for a majority in
the 543-member Lok Sabha.

She said Gandhi and Singh would meet the President at
their convenience to stake claim.

Banerjee said she had suggested that there should be a
Common Minimum Agenda for which a committee should be formed.

She expressed concern over falling jobs and said there
should be a relationship between industry and agriculture to
protect employment.

She also said that work for all and food for all
should be the guiding principle for the new government.

During the discussion on the common agenda, the
Trinamool Congress supremo said she also raised the issue of
protection of minorities' rights as well as those of scheduled
castes and tribes.

Banerjee said she also wanted the new government to
formulate a policy on agriculture and implement 33 per cent
reservation for women in legislature.

She said the issue of political "atrocities" in Bengal
and Kerala was raised by her.

Besides Banerjee and Karunanidhi, the meeting was
attended by NCP chief Sharad Pawar, National Conference leader
Farooq Abdullah, Muslim League leader E Ahamed, JMM leader
Shibu Soren and All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen leader
Asaduddin Owaisi.

External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Congress
leaders Ahmed Patel, Rahul Gandhi, A K Antony also took part
in the discussions. PTI MS
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