This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/world/south_asia/8059644.stm
The article has changed 2 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
Previous version
1
Next version
Version 0 | Version 1 |
---|---|
Congress set to form government | Congress set to form government |
(about 1 hour later) | |
The Congress-led coalition in India says it now has enough support from other parties to form a new government following the recent election. | The Congress-led coalition in India says it now has enough support from other parties to form a new government following the recent election. |
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said the party had the backing of 322 MPs, giving it a clear majority. | |
Mr Singh, 76, will be sworn in with a new cabinet on Friday. | |
He will become the first prime minister since India's independence leader, Jawaharlal Nehru, to be re-elected after serving a full five-year term | |
"The president has invited me to form the new cabinet," Mr Singh told reporters after meeting President Pratibha Patil. | |
Congress and its allies were only 10 seats short of a parliamentary majority when election results were declared: They won 262 seats, while the BJP-led group got 158. | |
A number of independent candidates and regional parties have since offered Congress their unconditional support. | |
Analysts say the formation of the Congress cabinet should be smooth as it will not have to rely on difficult coalition partners. | Analysts say the formation of the Congress cabinet should be smooth as it will not have to rely on difficult coalition partners. |
Several ministers were defeated - including those for steel, women and child development and minority affairs - so there will be fresh faces. | Several ministers were defeated - including those for steel, women and child development and minority affairs - so there will be fresh faces. |
Previous version
1
Next version