NCP-Cong in 'complete unanimity'; now talks with Sena to finalise architecture of alliance: Chavan

Senior Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan on Thursday said his party and the NCP have "complete unanimity" on all issues concerning government formation in Maharashtra and they will now hold talks with the Shiv Sena to "finalise the architecture of the alliance".

The Congress and NCP will hold deliberations with its pre-poll allies -- the Peasants Workers Party (PWP), Samajwadi Party, Swabhimani Paksh, CPI(M) -- in Mumbai before meeting the Shiv Sena.

The national capital this week saw marathon meetings between the top leaders of the Congress and the NCP to explore the possibility of forging an alliance with the Shiv Sena, a party whose ideology is poles apart from the duo.

Top Congress leaders Ahmed Patel, Jairam Ramesh and Mallikarjun Kharge, its state leaders Prithviraj Chavan, Balasaheb Thorat and Naseem Khan, and NCP leaders Praful Patel, Supriya Sule, Ajit Pawar, Jayant Patil and Nawab Malik were part of the meeting.

"The Nationalist Congress Party and the Congress have completed discussions on all issues. There is complete unanimity on all issues," Chavan told reporters.

"Decision will be taken tomorrow on what the architecture of the alliance will be. The final decision will be announced in Mumbai," he said, adding that the announcement of the Common Minimum Programme will clarify all the details of the new government.

He further said that only after all the issues are discussed and cleared by the three parties, the alliance will move towards staking claim to form the government.

When asked whether the chief minister's post will be rotational and what will be the seat sharing formula, Chavan said, "All discussions in public domain is purely speculative".

Earlier in the day, the Congress and the NCP held separate meetings with its top central and state leaders. They have also been in touch with Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray.

In one of the meetings, the Congress Working Committee after a detailed deliberation on the political situation in Maharashtra gave its approval to join hands with the Sena in the state, party sources told PTI.

After the meeting, which was chaired by party chief Sonia Gandhi, Congress sources said the finer details on the government formation in Maharashtra is expected by Friday.

On Wednesday, the Congress-NCP alliance gave its most categorical indication about joining hands with arch rival Shiv Sena, with former chief minister Prithviraj Chavan expressing confidence of forming a "stable" government soon in the state after a marathon meeting of senior leaders of the two parties here.