The new United Progressive Alliance government at the centre, led by prime minister Manmohan Singh for a second time, will be sworn in on 22 May. 
 
President Pratibha Patil today invited the Congress-led UPA to form the new government at the centre after the outgoing prime minister Manmohan Singh and UPA chairperson and Congress President Sonia Gandhi met her at the Rashtrapati Bhavan and staked claim to form the new government.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi is reported to have handed over a list of 322 MPs supporting a UPA government at the centre to the President.

The President asked the leader of the Congress-led alliance Manmohan Singh to be the next prime minister of India and asked him to advise her on the council of ministers.

''The President has invited me to form the new government,'' Manmohan Singh told reporters later, adding, ''She has proposed the swearing-in on 22 May at a mutually convenient time.''

He said the UPA, along with four independents, has 274 MPs and after the support of RJD, SP, BSP, the total MPs of the alliance add up to 322.

The UPA, earlier met at Congress chief Sonia Gandhi's residence 10 Janpath to stake claim to form the government.

The meeting unanimously re-elected Sonia Gandhi as the chairperson of the UPA. DMK chief M Karunanidhi proposed her name and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee seconded it.

Trinamool Congress, however, is reported to have stressed the need for a common minimum agenda for the new government as well.

Congress spokesperson Janardhan Dwivedi said the meeting did not discuss any specifics on a common minimum programme (CMP). He, however, said it was unanimously agreed to constitute a small group to decide on common issues.

While the new government will continue the policies and programmes of the previous UPA government, he said, the group has been asked to look at the election manifestos of parties which are part of the UPA, apart from the Congress.