New Delhi: Congress today (May 13, 2004) initiated the process of next Government formation with party chief Sonia Gandhi deputing teams of senior leaders for talks with like-minded parties and setting in motion the exercise of evolving a common minimum programme.

As the election results and trends went in favour of Congress and its allies, Gandhi herself got in touch with several leaders of alliance partners initiating in right earnest the task of Government formation, party general secretary Ambika Soni said.

Elections 2004-Where is India heading...
Political Parties in India

A significant development was BSP supremo Mayawati ringing up Gandhi in the backdrop of the party's assertion that it was not averse to extending support to a Congress-led front even if it has Samajwadi Party as one of its constituents.

"Attention is being focussed on putting in place a secular Government," Soni said, adding a meeting of the Congress Parliamentary Party is being held tomorrow (May 13, 2004) evening to elect its leader.

The Congress Working Committee (CWC) met tonight to deliberate on the issue of Government formation with the party emerging as the single largest in the Lok Sabha elections.