Sonia speaks to Pawar, authorises 3 senior leaders to hold talks with NCP

Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday spoke to NCP chief Sharad Pawar and authorised three senior party leaders to hold further talks on the issue of government formation in Maharashtra.

As hectic deliberations continued, Congress leaders Ahmed Patel, Mallikarjun Kharge and K C Venugopal would be leaving for Mumbai later in the day for holding discussions with NCP chief Sharad Pawar.

Earlier in the morning, Sonia Gandhi again spoke to Pawar over telephone and asked her party leaders to meet Pawar in Mumbai.

"Congress President Smt.Sonia Gandhi spoke to Shri.Sharad Pawar today morning and deputed Shri.Ahamed Patel, Shri.Mallikarjun Kharge and myself for holding further discussions with Shri.Pawar," Venugopal tweeted. "We three are going to Mumbai now and will meet Shri.Pawar at the earliest."