NCP panel to meet in Pune; Pawar-Sonia meeting deferred to Monday

Mumbai, Nov 16: The meeting between Congress president Sonia Gandhi and NCP chief Sharad Pawar in Delhi to discuss a possible alliance with the Shiv Sena in Maharashtra has been deffered to Monday.

Pawar has convened a meeting of the NCP's core committee in Pune on Sunday, which makes it difficult for him to reach Delhi in time, party sources said on Saturday.

Earlier, sources in both the parties had said that Pawar and Gandhi may meet on Sunday.

"The core committee meeting will begin in Pune at 4 pm. After that Pawar will head to Delhi in the evening. So the meeting with Sonia Gandhi seems unlikely," sources said.

The core committee may discuss portfolio allocation in the possible coalition government of NCP, Congress and Shiv Sena, sources said. Pawar is expected to meet senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel on Monday or Tuesday to discuss government formation, they added.

"A meeting with Sonia Gandhi may happen later," they said.

Allies Congress and NCP have worked out a common minimum program with the Sena for government formation. Maharashtra is under President's rule since November 12 after the BJP-Sena alliance fell apart over the issue of sharing of chief minister's post.