Mumbai: As the tussle for Maharashtra's Chief Ministership among Congress and NCP (Nationalist Congress Party) hots up, the Congress camp today (Oct 18, 2004) put the ball in the court of party high command to decide over the contentious issue.

An informal meeting of the newly elected Congress MLAs was held this morning at Gandhi Bhawan, party's office in South Mumbai, to gauge mood on the issue and overwhelming majority was in favour of Congress retaining the coveted post.

The Congress, which secured 69 seats, two less than the NCP tally, yesterday (Oct 17, 2004) had staked claim to the Chief Minister's post saying that along with its own strength, the allies (3 CPM, 2 independents) too were part of the Congress figure.

Senior Congress leaders in the State, including Digvijay Singh and Margaret Alva, today left for Delhi to hold meeting with party president Sonia Gandhi and apprise her of the feelings of party MLAs on the issue.

"We are leaving for Delhi soon and will discuss the matter with party president, and the decision of the Congress president will be conveyed through (MPCC chief Prabha) Rau soon," party in charge of Maharashtra Alva told reporters today.

"I cannot comment on the CM's issue or when the decision on the issue will be taken. My responsibility is to convey the situation to the party president," Alva said after emerging out of the meeting.

Asked if the meeting with the Congress president at Delhi will be joined by NCP chief Sharad Pawar, AICC general secretary and former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister, Digvijay Singh, said that their meeting with Gandhi will be purely a internal party matter.

He also sought to downplay the row on CM's issue, stating that, "the main issue is that we have not let the BSP (Bahujan Samaj Party) or the SP (Samajwadi Party) make inroads; rest are all small issues which can be sorted out".

Rau and Chief Minister Sushilkumar Shinde also refused to comment on the row.

Meanwhile, independent legislator Harshavardhan Patil, who is member of the Shinde ministry, was also present at Gandhi Bhawan to meet senior party leaders. The Congress legislators meeting paid rich tributes to Govindrao Vanjari, who died of a massive heart attack last night in Mumbai. Vanjari had defeated BJP's Mohan Mate from Nagpur South Assembly constituency in the just-concluded polls.