Manmohan holds talks with Sonia

Prime Minister-designate Manmohan Singh [ Images ] on Friday discussed the issue of government formation with Congress president Sonia Gandhi [ Images ] for five hours.

Congress leaders Arjun Singh [ Images ] and Pranab Mukherjee [ Images ], who have been in touch with the party's allies in connection, were part of the talks.

The meeting took place as Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Laloo Prasad Yadav [ Images ] sent a list of demands to the Congress.

Congress leader Kapil Sibal [ Images ] described the demands as "sensitive to government formation".

Yadav, who left for Patna in a huff on Thursday evening and returned to New Delhi [ Images ] in the morning, met Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar [ Images ] at the latter's residence in New Delhi.

He later said a decision on joining the government would be taken later.

In the evening the NCP leader Praful Patel [ Images ] said his party was ready to join the government. He, however, left it to Manmohan Singh to decide which portfolios to allocate to the NCP members.