Sonia meets pre-poll allies

Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Sunday met leaders of her party's pre-poll allies.

The shape of the new government and the common minimum programme will be among the issues to be discussed at the meeting, being held at her 10, Janpath residence in New Delhi.

Among those at the meeting are M Karunanidhi (Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam), Laloo Prasad Yadav (Rashtriya Janata Dal), Ram Vilas Paswan (Lok Janshakti Party), Sharad Pawar (Nationalist Congress Party), Ramdas Athawale (Republican Party of India), Shibu Soren (Jharkhand Mukti Morcha), Ginjee Ramachandran (Pattali Makkal Katchi), Vaiko (Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam), E Ahamed (Muslim league), Mehbooba Mufti (People's Democratic Party) and K Chandrasekhar Rao (Telangana Rashtra Samithi).

Most of the allies have given letters supporting Gandhi for government formation.

Besides Gandhi, the Congress team at the meeting comprises Dr Manmohan Singh, Arjun Singh, Pranab Mukherjee and Kamal Nath.