Congress set to form government

Congress leaders earlier met allies to discuss the way forward

The Congress-led coalition in India says it now has enough support from other parties to form a new government following the recent election.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said the party had the backing of 322 MPs, giving it a clear majority.

Mr Singh, 76, will be sworn in with a new cabinet on Friday.

He will become the first prime minister since India's independence leader, Jawaharlal Nehru, to be re-elected after serving a full five-year term

"The president has invited me to form the new cabinet," Mr Singh told reporters after meeting President Pratibha Patil.

Congress and its allies were only 10 seats short of a parliamentary majority when election results were declared: They won 262 seats, while the BJP-led group got 158.

A number of independent candidates and regional parties have since offered Congress their unconditional support.

Analysts say the formation of the Congress cabinet should be smooth as it will not have to rely on difficult coalition partners.

Several ministers were defeated - including those for steel, women and child development and minority affairs - so there will be fresh faces.