Mumbai: The Congress in Maharashtra is in no mood to let go the post of Chief Minister saying that the party combined with other party legislators were ahead of the NCP (Nationalist Congress Party) in number game in the Assembly polls.

Congress leaders were engaged in confabulations since late last (Oct 16, 2004) night and senior party observers Ghulam Nabi Azad and Pranab Mukherjee are expected to arrive in Mumbai today (Oct 17, 2004) ahead of the Congress legislature party meeting in the city, party observer Digvijay Singh, who is camping Mumbai, told.

Final party position for Maharashtra Assembly

The Congress leaders held meetings lasted early this morning to discuss the Chief Ministership issue.

Among those present were Singh, Margaret Alva, MPCC (Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee) chief Prabha Rau and Sanjay Dutt, MLC.

Responding to NCP's claim for the post of Chief Minister as it had emerged as the single largest party, Singh said, "Congress and other friendly parties had more in its kitty than the Sharad Pawar-led party."

Singh said that Congress had won 69 seats out of 157 it had contested. But the party had spared three seats from its quota for CPM (Communist Party of India-Marxist), two seats for RPI-G (Republican Party of India-Gavai) and two for independents, Hitendra Thakur (Vasai) and Harshvardhan Patil (Indapur), CPM won all the three seats and so did the independents. However, RPI-G drew a blank.

"Congress tally with its allies therefore went upto 74, while the NCP, on the other hand, had won 71 seats. The party had spared one seat for RPI-A (Athawale) in Ulhasnagar which was in its kitty thus NCP with allies accounted for 72," he said.