NEW DELHI/MUMBAI; The Congress and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Thursday are set to hold another round of meeting to give final touches to the contours of the alliance with the ideologically opposite Shiv Sena to form government in Maharashtra.

This comes after several rounds of marathon meetings that took place on Wednesday between the senior leaders of Congress, NCP and Shiv Sena to reach like-mindedness on power sharing and the Common Minimum Programme (CMP).

The Congress-NCP meet on Thursday will be crucial one as both the parties are likely to take a final call ahead of its meeting with Shiv Sena on Friday.

Besides, leaders of both the parties — Sonia Gandhi-led Congress and Sharad Pawar-led NCP — will also hold separate meetings on Thursday. Congress and NCP leaders are expected to go to Mumbai on Friday where they will hold meetings with Shiv Sena.

WHAT’S COOKING AMONG THE THREE

The Congress-NCP alliance on Wednesday 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 holding marathon meetings between the two parties in New Delhi.

While the Congress leader hoped that political uncertainty will soon end in Maharashtra, NCP spokesperson Nawab Malik was unambiguous about the need to join hands with the Shiv Sena, asserting that a government cannot be formed in the state without the three parties coming together.

Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut on Wednesday said that the chief minister of the state will be from his party, but parried question on whether the Sena would hold the post for five years.

Sanjay Raut said Congress and NCP leaders met last Friday and agreed that common ground has to be reached for a coalition government between the three parties. Raut also said that the work towards forming a stable government in Maharashtra has started, obstacles have been removed and the process to finalise details will be completed in the next four to five days.

“They (Congress-NCP) are right. If a three-party government is to be formed then it will take time. Common Minimum Program will be discussed,” Sanjay Raut said.

Meanwhile, NCP sources said the chief minister’s post is most likely to be on a rotational basis, with the first half to be given to the Sena and the latter to the NCP.

The Congress is likely to have the deputy chief minister’s post for the full five-year term, NCP sources said according to news agency PTI.

NCP leaders also cited the slim margin in the number of seats between the two parties.

Also, NCP sources said that the smaller parties which had allied with the Congress-NCP coalition are also on board to having a tie-up with the ideologically opposite Shiv Sena.

The Raju Shetti-led Swabhimani Paksh (1), Hitendra Thakur-led Bahujan Vikas Aghadi (3), Samajwadi Party (2), CPI-M (1) and Peasents and Workers Party (PWP) — who had allied with the Congress-NCP — have also expressed their willingness to join the coalition.

In the October 21 Maharashtra elections, the BJP-Shiv Sena saffron alliance secured a comfortable majority by winning 105 and 56 seats respectively in the 288-member assembly. The Congress and the NCP, pre-poll allies, won 44 and 54 seats, respectively.

(With inputs from agencies)