UPA leaders to meet the President tommorrow

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is expected to meet President Pratibha Patil on Monday and hand over the resignation of the counsel of ministers before he is formally invited to form the government, Ambika Soni, senior member of the Congress party said.

Soni told rediff.com that the PM is expected to meet the President at Rashtrapathi Bhavan at 12.30 pm on Monday. Congress leaders and other allies of the United Progressive Alliance are expected to call on the President at 10.30 am on Monday to appraise her of the political developments. They will also inform the President that the UPA has the required numbers to form the next government.

Meanwhile Ghulam Nabi Azad, former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir said that efforts are on to include Rahul Gandhi in the Union Cabinet, but they would leave it to him to take a final call. Azad parried questions about Samajwadi Party and Laloo Prasad Yadav joining the Union Cabinet. He said the Congress Working Committee only congratulated the party leaders and did not discuss anything about formation of the new government.