The talks between the Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) over Maharashtra government formation are likely to resume on Saturday.
This follows their failure to find an amicable solution as to which party will head the new state despite four days of backroom discussions.
The dialogue between senior leaders of both the parties came to a halt on Wednesday as Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee, who was heading the Congress side, left for West Bengal to take part in the Durga Puja celebrations.
Maharashtra's caretaker Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde also has left for Mumbai.
Congress sources admitted that both sides were finding it difficult to budge from their respective stands. At the same time, neither party was willing to be seen as backing off after making it public that they would not give up the post of chief minister.