New Delhi: A day after being appointed Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh today (May 20, 2004) commenced the tough task of finalising his Cabinet amid pressure for key portfolios from allies one of whom, the RJD (Rashtriya Janata Dal), went into sulk on being denied the Home portfolio.

The eminent economist, who will be sworn-in on Saturday (May 22) at the head of the first Congress-led coalition at the Centre, got a foretaste of the hassles ahead when Laloo Prasad Yadav's RJD, which has 20 MPs in Lok Sabha, sought the Home portfolio which was turned down.

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A visibly unhappy Bihar strongman left for Patna after declaring that "I make ministers, I have made Prime Ministers earlier and even now. Why should I hanker for a portfolio?" On the record RJD, however, made no mention that it wanted Home portfolio, only stating that it would decide on joining the cabinet tomorrow.

The Prime Minister-designate had two meetings with Congress President Sonia Gandhi on the ministry-making, one of them after senior party leaders Arjun Singh and R K Dhawan met Yadav to mollify him.