Delays in forming govt in Maharashtra

Leaders of the Congress party and its regional ally, the National Congress Party (NCP), had held a series of meetings since the results of last week's state poll were announced on Saturday, Congress officials said.

The Congress-NCP alliance won 140 of the 288 legislative seats, followed by the Hindu nationalist alliance of Shiv Sena and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) with 120 seats. The rest went to independents.

The NCP claims it has the right to appoint a chief minister after it emerged as the single largest party in the state with 71 seats.

"As per the formula since 1999, the chief minister's post should go to the single largest party which is the NCP this time and we are just asking Congress to implement the same formula," said NCP founder Sharad Pawar, the federal agriculture minister who spearheaded the party's victory in the polls.

Congress leaders said there was no such formula and the decision would be reached in discussions between party president Sonia Gandhi and Pawar.

Analysts said Pawar would likely agree to a compromise in exchange for a bigger portfolio in central government while retaining his control over the NCP at state level.