New Delhi: Manmohan Singh cancelled a scheduled meeting with President Pratibha Patil over the new Government formation. It is believed that the meeting was cancelled due to differences with UPA allies over portfolio allocation.
Manmohan Singh, who reportedly had to submit a list of ministers to be sworn in with him on Friday, was to meet the President at around 1030 hours IST on Thursday.
With the differences over allocation of portfolios persisting, Singh is scheduled to meet UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi to discuss the matter.
Sources say that while decision over some key names for the Cabinet are more or less taken, there are serious differences over others.
Meanwhile, the DMK is bargaining hard for ministerial berths. The indication now is that Manmohan Singh is preparing to be sworn in with a small group of ministers on Friday. He is likely to leave the door open for allies whom he would like to accommodate later.
DMK chief M Karunanidhi was in Delhi on Wednesday driving a hard bargain, asking for as many as three Cabinet berths for his son MK Azhagiri and daughter Kanimozhi. But a defiant Congress is most likely to give him only two Cabinet berths – one ministry of state independent charge and four ordinary MoS berths.
Representatives of the two parties are expected to meet again on Thursday.
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