New Delhi: The Manmohan Singh Ministry sworn in today (May 22, 2004) sprang a surprise with the last-minute entry of two senior Congress leaders into the Cabinet - Shivraj Patil and P M Sayeed - despite their defeat in the Lok Sabha elections.

In the intense speculation on the Ministerial probables, Patil, who is a close associate of Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Sayeed, who was Deputy Speaker in the dissolved House, never figured.

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The first inkling of luck smiling on Patil, a former Lok Sabha Speaker, and on Sayeed came when they were found sitting on the chairs meant for Cabinet Ministers to be sworn-in.

Patil, who was deputy leader of the Congress in the 13th Lok Sabha, had a marathon run of seven terms, but this time he was defeated by BJP's Rupa Patil Nilangekar, a political greenhorn and daughter-in-law of former Maharashtra Chief Minister Shivajirao Patil Nilangekar.

Sayeed, who was seeking a 12th term and would have been the Protem Speaker by virtue of being the senior-most member, lost to a debutant candidate of the JD-U in Lakshwadeep.

While Patil has handled several Ministries under Indira and Rajiv Gandhi, Sayeed was Minister of State for Home in P V Narasimha Rao Government.

Their return to the Cabinet is likely to give a fresh lease of life to their political career.