The proposed meeting between Congress president Sonia Gandhi and NCP chief Sharad Pawar scheduled for Sunday has been cancelled but sources said this wasn’t because of any new hurdle cropping up in coalition-making efforts.

What triggered speculation about a fresh crisis was the postponement of the scheduled meeting of the Congress, NCP and the Shiv Sena delegation with Maharashtra governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari earlier in the day and the renewed muscle-flexing by BJP leaders for forming the government. Now, Pawar’s vital meeting with Sonia which was supposed to seal the deal has been put off.

But Congress leaders from Mumbai told The Telegraph on phone that the negotiations were on track and the procedural delays should not be seen as a change of mind. Though central leadership of the Congress was still wary of making any public statement, state leaders are confident of forming the government with the Sena. They said Pawar would now reach Delhi on Monday and meet Sonia then.

The meeting with governor was postponed because the leaders were busy in their constituencies. Sources said the meeting could not be held because members of the proposed delegation were in their respective constituencies carrying out drought inspection visits and filing election expenditure documents.

The meeting is expected to be rescheduled but there is no word on a new date.

The delegation was to discuss issues relating to farmers’ distress and unemployment. While the Congress and the NCP were largely silent on Saturday, the Shiv Sena continued to attack the BJP and refused to attend the NDA meeting. They also accused the BJP of trying to poach their MLAs.