New Delhi, Oct 29 (IANS) The continuing deadlock over portfolio allocation in Maharashtra between the Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) is likely to be over in a day or two, a party official said Thursday.
“The talks (between both sides) are in the final stages. It is likely to conclude by tomorrow (Friday) or the day after,” said an NCP leader who is privvy to the developments.

Meanwhile, NCP leader Praful Patel has said that major changes in the portfolio allocation were “unlikely”.

The Congress camp said Thursday it needed more time to resolve the issue. Both camps are hesitant to reveal to the media their positions on the issue.

Senior Congress leaders A.K. Antony, party in-charge of Maharashtra, Ahamed Patel, party president Sonia Gandhi’s political secretary, held formal talks on portfolio allocation with NCP chief Sharad Pawar and his deputy Praful Patel at Pawar’s residence here.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan, who was in the national capital, is reported to have participated in informal talks with Congress leaders.

Praful Patel, who held many rounds of informal talks with Congress leaders after Pawar authorised him to negotiate on the issue, said the matter would be resolved “in a couple of days”.

NCP leaders have already stated that the party would not concede important portfolios like home, finance, power and public works (PWD) that it held in the previous government.

NCP leaders reiterated that the party was ready to surrender some portfolios, which are not high-profile, to the Congress as the latter party got more lawmakers this time.

The Congress-NCP combine held on to power for the third time in the state after the Oct 13 assembly elections, but with the power ratio changed. The NCP got 62 seats, compared to the Congress’ 82.