New Delhi: Congress president Sonia Gandhi today (Oct 23, 2004) held consultations with Union Ministers Pranab Mukherjee, Ghulam Nabi Azad and Arjun Singh ahead of the Congress-NCP (Nationalist Congress Party) talks over the Maharasthra Chief Ministership issue.

Mukherjee, Congress' chief negotiator on the issue arrived in the capital from Kolkata and drove to Gandhi's 10, Janpath residence for the talks.

He was joined there by Azad and Singh.

NCP and Congress leaders are likely to meet in the evening to sort out the vexed issue.

Talks to decide the Chief Minister in Maharashtra have been deadlocked since the assembly election results were announced on October 16.

NCP, which emerged as the single largest party in the State, had demanded the top post from alliance partner Congress.

Congress on the other hand claimed the Chief Ministership citing that it had allotted seats to the CPM, which won three seats in the Assembly.

NCP won 71 seats in the just-concluded elections, while Congress got 69. However, Congress now has 68 MLAs in the Assembly following the death of newly elected Nagpur South legislator Govindrao Wanjari.