Maharashtra: Congress Legislative Party meeting to be held tomorrow

The CWC, the sources said, has broadly agreed to go ahead with government formation with Shiv Sena and the NCP. Another meeting between Congress and NCP is to happen Thursday night and a final meeting with Shiv Sena will happen Friday in Mumbai. The decision on government formation in Maharashtra will be announced in Mumbai on Friday.

Mumbai: Congress Legislative Party meeting will be held on Friday at Maharashtra Vidhan Bhavan, to elect their legislative party leader.

Modalities have been finalised on the formation of the government in Maharashtra between the Congress, Shiv Sena and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and all the three parties have, in principle, agreed upon ministerial berths according to their strength in the assembly, sources said on Thursday.

The Common Minimum Programme (CMP) between Congress and NCP has been sealed and will be discussed with the Shiv Sena in Mumbai on Friday, sources added.

Earlier today, the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting was held at party interim president Sonia Gandhi's 10 Janpath residence. Several senior leaders including Malikarjun Kharge, Ahmed Patel, AK Antony and Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury had attended the meeting.

Maharashtra came under President's Rule on November 12 after all the parties failed to form a government in the state. The BJP, which emerged as the single largest party, could not stake claim to form a government as its ally Shiv Sena remained firm on rotating the Chief Minister's post and equal sharing of Cabinet berths.

Shiv Sena parted its ways with BJP to explore ways to form a government. It, however, failed to prove the support of the required number of MLAs in the time given by Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari.

The Governor had then invited NCP, the third-largest party, to prove its ability to form the government failing which President's Rule was imposed in the state.

The Shiv Sena is now holding talks with the Congress and NCP to form a government in Maharashtra.

The BJP won 105 seats in the 288-member assembly followed by Shiv Sena 56, NCP 54 and Congress 44.