Leaders of the NCP called off a crucial meeting with Congress leaders at Chief Minister Ashok Chavans official residence on Sunday evening over the issue of portfolio sharing in Maharashtra,delaying further government formation in the state. Maharashtra PCC president Manikrao Thakre and Mumbai unit chief Kripashankar Singh were present at the CMs residence for the meeting when they were told that NCP leaders wont be coming. When contacted,Thakre said the NCP leaders informed him that they were yet to conclude their internal deliberations on the issue of portfolio sharing. We will wait for them, Thakre said. Initially the talks were to be held in Delhi,but were later shifted. Earlier in the day,NCPs chief negotiator Praful Patel met his party chief Sharad Pawar and then went to Varsha,the CMs residence,to meet Chavans spiritual guru Satya Sai Baba,who was present there. Both parties are stuck over portfolio sharing with the Congress offering 18 ministerial berths to the NCP while retaining 24 for itself,a change from the 20-22 formula in the outgoing government. The major portfolio of dispute between the two parties is the Home Ministry,which controls the law and order in the state. Over the decade- long alliance,the NCP has retained the ministry while the CMs post went to the Congress. The Congress won 82 seats while the NCP won 62 seats,changing the equations between the two parties since the last elections. In the 2004 elections,NCP had won more seats than the Congress. According to the rules,the next government in the state should be formed by November 4. Thakre said the Congress-NCP may stake claim to form government on Monday.
