New Delhi: Congress today (Oct 20, 2004) said there were "absolutely no hurdles" in the ongoing talks with NCP (Nationalist Congress Party) on the issue of Chief Ministership in Maharashtra and expressed confidence of a solution soon.

"There are absolutely no hurdles in the talks and discussions are on in a friendly atmosphere," party spokesperson Jayanti Natrajan told reporters when asked about the hurdles which had delayed the resolution of the issue.

"A solution will be found quickly," she said, adding "people of Maharashtra have full faith in us and we will provide a Government at the earliest possible time."

Without entering into a debate on the number of seats won by the two parties, Natrajan emphasised in reply to a question that the Congress has a "claim" to the post of Chief Minister.

When her attention was drawn by a reporter to a statement by the party's ally, CPM (Communist Party Marxist), which won three seats in the elections, that it was neither with Congress nor NCP on the leadership issue, Natrajan said that Congress had given these three seats to CPM out of its quota and that was the reason, it was claiming that it had more number of seats than NCP.

Asked about the next round of meeting between Congress and NCP to resolve the matter, she said, "I am not aware of it."