New Delhi, May 19 (IANS) The Congress will be joining the West Bengal government headed by Mamata Banerjee, but party president Sonia Gandhi will not be attending the historic regime change-over in the state after 34 years, a party official said Thursday.

 
 “We will join the government,” Shakeel Ahmed, Congress leader in charge of the party's affairs in West bengal, told IANS.
 
 Ahmed declined to say how many Congress legislators will take oath as ministers Friday though officials in  Kolkata said seven of the Congress will be sworn-in.
 
 He said Congress president Sonia Gandhi will not be attending the swearing-in ceremony due to preoccupation.
 
 He said that Gandhi Thursday sent a “special gift” to Mamata through Defence Minister A.K. Antony. 
 
 Ahmed said Friday's swearing-in ceremony will be attended by union Home Minister P. Chidambaram.
 
 The Congress won 42 seats in the West Bengal assembly polls which saw the ouster of Left Front government after 34 years. The Congress had fought the polls in alliance with the Trinamool Congress, which won 184 seats in the 294-assembly. Banerjee had invited the Congress to join the new government.