New Delhi, May 20 2009: Dr Manmohan Singh and Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday handed over letters of support to President Pratibha Patil and staked claim to form the govt.The two leaders met the President at the Rashtrapati Bhavan and handed over letters of support from allies.

Talking to reporters after the meeting, Dr Singh said, "The President has invited me to form the new government," and added, "She has proposed the swearing-in on May 22 at a mutually convenient time".

After a short meeting lasting no more than 10 minutes, Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh addressed reporters at the forecourt of the presidential palace.

"I called on president to stake claim on formation of new government," Manmohan Singh said, disclosing that the president had proposed May 22 for the swearing in "at a mutually convenient time".

Giving details of how the numbers stacked up, he said: "We have 274 members who are part of the Congress and pre-poll alliance, also including four independents.

The total number adds up to 274" .

"We have support of Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party, Rashtriya Janata Dal...

they have another 48 MPs.

This totals amounts to 322" .

Manmohan Singh also read out Patil's congratulatory note felicitating him on him being chosen as the leader of the Congress Parliamentary Party.

The president said in her letter that she was acting on the fact that "yours is the single largest party and the largest pre-election alliance".

Patil told Manmohan Singh: "(I am) taking note of the letters of support enabling you to command majority support of the newly constituted 15th Lok Sabha, I have the pleasure to appoint you the prime minister and request you to advise me as to the names of others to be appointed members of council of ministers." "I propose to administer the oath on May 22," she said in her letter.

Earlier, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi said that she has handed over the letter of recommendation to the President.

The decision to stake claim to form the government was taken at a meeting of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA), held today at Congress chief Sonia Gandhi's residence 10, Janpath.

At the meeting, Sonia Gandhi was unanimously re-elected as the chairperson of the UPA.

The Congress chief's name was proposed by DMK supremo M Karunanidhi and seconded by Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee.

The allies met here to discuss the nitty-gritties of the formation of the next government.

The meeting was the first after the ruling alliance got a near-decisive victory in the just-concluded Lok Sabha elections.

During the meeting, the allies, especially the Trinamool Congress, stressed on the need of having a common minimum agenda for the new government.

Congress spokesperson Janardhan Dwivedi told a press conference that no discussion took place on having a specific Common Minimum Programme (CMP) during the meeting.

He however added that it was unanimously agreed to constitute a small group to decide on common issues.

The group will also look at election manifestos of the parties which are part of the UPA, apart from the Congress, Dwivedi said.

The policies and programmes of the previous UPA government would continue, he added.

The Congress spokesperson further told the press that during the meeting, Dr Manmohan Singh listed internal security and communal harmony as two priorities of his government.

"The (acting) Prime Minister referred to the promises made to the people and stressed on delivering them," he said, adding the PM also promised to continue and strengthen welfare programmes.

According to Dwivedi, no ally has set any conditions before the Congress for supporting the UPA government.

"The allies stressed on the need to provide a strong, stable and effective government that will work for the welfare of the people," he added.

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