Manmohan defers Prez meet as cabinet pressures mount

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today deferred a meeting with President Pratibha Patil as pulls and pressures continued on government formation with Trinamool Congress and DMK, two major pre-poll constituents of the UPA, demanding plum portfolios and more ministries.
      
With Singh set to be sworn in tomorrow for the second term, Congress negotiators led by senior leader Pranab Mukherjee are grappling with the issue.

A meeting slated this morning between Singh and the President on government formation was deferred apparently because the list of the Council of Ministers was yet to be finalised.

Indications are that Mukherjee is likely to get Finance portfolio while P Chidambaram and A K Antony are expected to retain Home and Defence respectively.

Among the probable names doing rounds for some of the key ministries are Kapil Sibal for Human Resource Development replacing Arjun Singh, who is likely to be accommodated in a gubernatorial post.

Salman Khurshid is likely to get Minority Affairs ministry, held by A R Antulay, who was defeated in the elections.

A tussle is reportedly on wresting the Railway Ministry, held by RJD chief Lalu Prasad who is unlikely to find a berth in Manmohan Singh's second innings.

Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee is eyeing the Railway portfolio as also the DMK.