The exercise for Government formation in Maharashtra made no headway on Tuesday with the scheduled meeting between the leaders of the Congress and NCP to thrash out niggling issues called off due to the former’s “pre-occupation with late former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s birth anniversary events”.

But then, Congress chief Sonia Gandhi did chair a meeting with senior party leaders Mallikarjun Kharge, AK Antony and Ahmed Patel, who have been tasked to hold the discussions with the likes of Praful Patel, Sunil Tatkare, Ajit Pawar from the NCP.

Despite of several rounds of talks between leaders of the three parties in Mumbai and Delhi, possibility of a Sena-led Government still remains at a nascent stage. NCP president Sharad Pawar held a meeting with Congress chief Sonia Gandhi in Delhi on Monday who later said if the NCP-Congress have to take a view on Government formation, they have to first discuss it between themselves.

In the meeting Congress decided to hold another round of talks with NCP in New Delhi to finalise the draft common minimum programme (CMP) while Kharge will lead the talks along with Party General Secretary K C Venugopal and state leaders.

AICC sources said that Congress leadership was informed that NCP is pushing for the rotational arrangement for the Chief Minister post between Sena and NCP. The deliberations on power sharing will be finalised by the high-powered committee for the three parties in this week and the final stamp will be put by the leaders of all the three parties.

As per the deal negotiated till the end of Sonia-Pawar meeting, sources said Congress will rest with Speaker’s post and a Deputy Chief Minister post in the Government while NCP will get post of legislative council chairman. All three parties are likely to get an equal share in the Council of Ministers.

“The parties are negotiating for portfolios and the grand old party is seeking Home and Revenue while NCP desires to sit over Finance and Cooperatives. The Ministry of Coperatives is Maharashtra is perceived a important portfolio,” said a senior Congress leader closely monitoring the Maharashtra developments adding that Congress wants finalisation of the CMP before moving forward to an official announcement.

The UPA alliance partners have deputed leaders for holding talks on a possible alliance with the Shiv Sena, a party closely associated with Hindutva and anti-Congressism.

Amid cautious approach by the NCP -Congress, Shiv Sena too has called a meeting of all its MLAs and senior leaders on Friday to be chaired by Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray.

In the last month’s assembly polls, the NCP and the Congress, pre-poll allies, won 54 and 44 seats, respectively in the 288- member assembly where the majority mark is 145. Shiv Sena has 56 seats in its bag BJP emerged largest at 106 seats.