New Delhi: After the first round of talks proved unfruitful, Congress and NCP (Nationalist Congress Party) leaders are likely to meet this evening (Oct 19, 2004) to sort out the issue of Maharashtra Chief Ministership amid expectations that a way would be found out.

The leaders from the two parties were understood to have discussed a Jammu and Kashmir formula involving sharing of Chief Ministership by rotation to end the tussle for the top post in Maharashtra.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Sushilkumar Shinde, Union Ministers Pranab Muhkerjee and Ghulam Nabi Azad, senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel, met NCP chief Sharad Pawar last night (Oct 18, 2004) to sort out the vexed issue.

Alliance sources said the Kashmir formula was proposed by Congress, which wanted the top post for the first term of two and half years.

"The talks were progressing in the right direction," Ahmed Patel said after meeting Pawar.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi was briefed after the first round of talks proved unfruitful last night.

Under the power-sharing arrangement between Congress and PDP (Peoples Democratic Party) in Jammu and Kashmir, the latter, despite being a junior partner, was given the first go at Chief Ministership.

Earlier yesterday, the Congress leaders met in the backdrop of the situation emerging after Pawar's statement of providing outside support to the new Government if his demand for a NCP Chief Minister was not met.

Emerging as the single largest party after elections in Maharashtra, NCP had demanded the Chief Minister's post from its alliance partner Congress.