New Delhi: With NCP (Nationalist Congress Party) blinking in the 11-day battle of nerves, Congress tonight (Oct 27, 2004) walked away with the post of Chief Minister in Maharashtra with Sharad Pawar-led party remaining content with two additional cabinet berths and as many portfolios.

The breakthrough in the tough bargaining, that began soon after Assembly polls were announced on October 16, came after NCP's chief negotiator Praful Patel had a meeting with Congress president Sonia Gandhi in New Delhi this evening following which Alva and Ahmed Patel called on NCP chief Sharad Pawar.

Later, Pawar spoke to Gandhi over phone and the two party chiefs gave their seal of approval to the power-sharing deal.

"We have agreed to continue the 1999 formula except that NCP will have two more ministers of cabinet rank and one minister of State with two portfolios transferred to NCP from Congress," Margaret Alva, AICC (All India Congress Committee) general secretary in charge of party affairs in Maharashtra told reporters in the presence of Praful Patel and senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel.

"We have resolved the issue to the satisfaction of both sides," she said.

The end to the stalemate and the clinching of the deal followed a flurry of meetings between the two allies during which Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh spoke to Pawar.

The legislature parties of Congress and NCP will meet in Mumbai on Friday to elect their leaders.

Asked whether incumbent Sushilkumar Shinde would be the new Chief Minister, Alva and Ahmed Patel replied "Sonia Gandhi had led Congress to victory in Maharashtra polls".