New Delhi: As part of efforts to cobble a broader coalition, newly-elected Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) leader Sonia Gandhi today (May 15, 2004) met senior Communist Party of India - Marxist (CPM) leader Jyoti Basu and invited the party to join the new coalition Government.

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"The idea is to have a coalition Government," she told reporters after a 20-minute one-to-one meeting with Basu.

Asked if she had invited CPM to join the government, she said, "Of course."

Gandhi parried a question when asked about CPM's reaction to her invitation.

She had driven to Banga Bhavan straight from Parliament House after her unanimous election as CPP leader.

CPM sources said Gandhi had sought the meeting with Basu and it was a one-to-one affair.

Political Secretary to Congress president Ahmed Patel had accompanied Gandhi to Banga Bhawan but did not join the meeting, they said.

Basu was not available for comment.