Mumbai, Nov. 5: Congress and NCP leaders were finally set to meet Maharashtra governor S.C. Jamir tomorrow and stake claim to form the government, after a fortnight of haggling over posts prompted a gentle reminder from Raj Bhavan yesterday.

Sources said chief minister-designate Ashok Chavan and some other members of his cabinet would be “hopefully” sworn in on Saturday so that the government could start working.

At the end of another day of hectic negotiations, Congress veteran A.K. Antony in New Delhi and NCP leader Praful Patel in Mumbai announced that the differences over portfolio allocations had been settled “amicably”.

But they declined to reveal the ratio or say whether the Congress had managed to wrest the important home portfolio, a sticky point in the talks.

“The talks are over. We have settled everything. The details will be announced tomorrow,” was all that Antony, who met Congress chief Sonia Gandhi along with Chavan and senior leader Ahmed Patel, would say.

Speaking to reporters at his Worli home around 9 this evening, Praful Patel also refused to shed any light on either the formula agreed upon or the allocation of portfolios.

“I can tell you we have agreed upon a respectable formula…. It is a win-win situation (for both). There is no compromise from either side. The NCP will offer its letter of support to the governor tomorrow.”

Asked if the Congress had agreed to a 23-20 post-sharing formula, he said: “It is not so.”

The Congress, which has won 20 seats more than its partner, had also been negotiating for the Speaker’s post and other key portfolios like finance, energy, public works and water resources.

The end of the deadlock came after a reminder from the governor yesterday to respect the people’s mandate without “further delay”, which prompted Chavan to promise that a government would be in place within 48 hours.

Congress sources in Delhi, however, pointed out that the allies hadn’t announced a date for the swearing-in and Chavan might not be able to keep his promise.

Earlier, NCP chief Sharad Pawar, deputy chief minister-designate Chhagan Bhujbal, Praful Patel and Chavan held talks at Mumbai airport before Chavan flew to Delhi to meet Sonia.