NEW DELHI, May 19 (Xinhuanet) -- Manmohan Singh was Wednesday night officially appointed Indian prime minister to head the Congress-led coalition after Sonia Gandhi rejected appeals to take up the top post.

    The Press Trust of India reported that President A. P. J. Abdul Kalam appointed the 71-year-old Singh to succeed Atal Bihari Vajpayee after he along with Sonia met him for about 15 minutes at Rashtrapati Bhawan, or the Presidential Palace, to bring to an end an extraordinary political drama triggered by Sonia's decision notto become prime minister despite frenzied pleas by her partymen across the country. Enditem