New Delhi: Efforts to find a solution to the weeklong stalemate over Maharashtra Chief Ministership gained momentum today (Oct 23, 2004) with NCP (Nationalist Congress Party) leader Praful Patel holding talks with senior Congress leaders.

However, caretaker Chief Minister Sushilkumar Shinde, who has arrived in the capital, was conspicuous by his absence at the talks.

Congress leaders Pranab Mukherjee, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Arjun Singh, Ahmed Patel and Margaret Alva held talks with the NCP leader hours after they consulted party president Sonia Gandhi on ways to resolve the deadlock.

The Congress leaders are expected to meet NCP chief Sharad Pawar in the evening.

Earlier, Ahmed Patel, political secretary to Congress president after a two-hour meeting with Gandhi, gave an indication that the Chief Ministership issue could be resolved by tomorrow.

"Ninety per cent will be resolved today and ten per cent tomorrow," Ahemd Patel told reporters after the meeting at Gandhi's 10, Janpath residence.

He denied reports that the Congress has decided to give the Chief Ministership to NCP. "Nothing of that sort," he remarked.

Meanwhile, RPI-A (Republican Party of India-Athawale) president Ramdas Athawale had a meeting with Pawar and suggested that Congress and NCP could follow the Jammu and Kashmir pattern by sharing the top post for two and half years each during the five year tenure.