Manmohan Singh will be sworn in as next PM of India on Friday

President Pratibha Patil on Wednesday invited Manmohan Singh to be the next Prime Minister of India and asked him to advise her on the council of ministers. Claiming the support of 322 MPs, Manmohan Singh and Congress President Sonia Gandhi had staked claim to form the next Government at a meeting with the President.

The new ministry will be sworn-in on Friday. Meanwhile, United Progressive Alliance (UPA) partners met on Wednesday to discuss the knotty issue of distribution of ministerial berths and also re-elected Congress President Sonia Gandhi as Chairperson of the grouping. The meeting at Congress President Sonia Gandhi's 10 Janpath residence was attended by Manmohan Singh and the galaxy of UPA leaders, who have bagged 263 seats in the parliamentary elections.