Singh, the 71-year-old economist-banker-bureaucrat-turned politician, held talks with Congress President Sonia Gandhi and other senior party leaders interacted with chiefs of allies to firm up the ministry-making.

As per a new law passed by the outgoing Parliament restricting the size of federal and state ministries, Singh can have only an 83-member council of ministers.

Singh, who has embarked on the most delicate assignment of his 13-year-old political career, got a taste of the pulls and pressures of coalition partners jockeying for ministerial berths.

According to sources, Singh himself is likely to retain at least for the time being the key portfolio of Finance, which he had handled skilfully from 1991 to 1996 under Prime Minister P V Narasimha Rao.

There are already indications that ministry-making would not be an easy task with so many aspirants for ministerial berths not only from Congress but also from its pre- and post-poll alliance partners.

For instance, Rashtriya Janata Dal, which has 21 MPs from its bastion Bihar, went into a sulk after Congress reportedly turned down the party chief's wish to get the crucial home portfolio.

RJD chief Laloo Prasad Yadav, who had been camping here for the last several days, returned home Thursday in a huff and did some tough talking by reminding that Congress party did not have majority on its own and cannot do anything without consulting the allies.

For the record, however, Yadav said "I have made prime ministers in the past and even now and I am not hankering for ministerial posts." He said he was more interested in securing a commitment from the new government for a special economic package for Bihar.

Yadav's remarks assume significance because fresh assembly polls in his state are just eight months away and he needs to be seen to have succeeded in securing his pound of flesh for Bihar after having backed to the hilt a Congress-led government at the Centre.

Congress sources said Yadav has been conveyed the difficulty in giving him or his party the home ministry charge because he is out on bail and faces fodder scam cases. Besides, Congress is keen to retain the portfolio for its senior most leaders Pranab Mukherjee or Arjun Singh who had been in charge of the ministry under Prime Minister P V Narasimha Rao in the nineties.

Among the front runners for top ministerial berths from Congress are Ghulam Nabi Azad and Kamal Nath, considered among those in the party very close to Sonia Gandhi, Priya Ranjan Dasmunshi, film actor-turned-politician Sunil Dutt, former foreign service officer Mani Shankar Aiyer and party chief in the key state of Gujarat Shankersinh Vaghela.

Among the Congress' young brigade, Jyotiraditya Scindia, son of late party leader Madhavrao Scindia, is a front-runner for a ministerial post. The young Scindia has already made a name for himself for expertise in economic affairs.

Of the leaders of the allies, former Finance Minister P Chidam-baram, NCP President Sharad Pawar, who may get defence portfolio, Lok Janashakti party chief Ram Vilas Paswan and first time MP Dayanidhi Maran, son of late Commerce Minister and DMK leader Murasoli Maran, are front runners for cabinet berths. Dayanidhi is a close relative of DMK chief M Karunanidhi.

The ministries turning out to be lucrative include external affairs, for which the name of senior Congress leader K Natwar Singh is doing the rounds though somewhat mutedly, civil aviation, telecommunication, surface transport, tourism and power.

PTI adds: Even as the RJD remained non-committal over the issue of joining the Congress-led coalition government, NCP went ahead to announce its decision to participate in the government yesterday evening.

NCP spokesperson Praful Patel announced the decision.

Following a meeting between senior Congress leaders Pranab Mukherjee, Ahmed Patel and NCP chief Sharad Pawar, Patel said, "We have already extended unconditional support (to a Congress-led Government) and now after taking into consideration all aspects, we have decided to participate in the government."

"We have left the matter with regard to what ministry to be allotted to the Prime Minister-designate Manmohan Singh" he said.

He also expressed confidence that a way out would be found on the issues raised by Laloo Prasad Yadav, which could enable the RJD's entry into the Government.

Praful Patel said the party has left it to Pawar as to who should be included in the Council of Ministers.