New Delhi: Congress' pre-poll allies and Left parties tonight (May 16, 2004) unanimously asked Sonia Gandhi to form the next Government at the Centre.

Gandhi's name for Prime Ministership was proposed by Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) chief M Karunanidhi which was seconded by Rashtriya Janata dal (RJD) president Laloo Prasad Yadav, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar and all other leaders, Congress leader Manmohan Singh told reporters after a two-and-half-hour meeting at her 10 Janpath residence.

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Asked when the new Government would be sworn in, Singh said once the new Lok Sabha is constituted in a day or two, it was for the President to extend a formal invitation.