The deliberation on Maharashtra government formation enters a crucial phase as Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar arrives in Delhi on Monday (November 18) to hold talks with interim Congress president Sonia Gandhi. 


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The NCP chief is expected to meet Sonia Gandhi in the evening today. Both the leaders would give a final shape to the coalition government in Maharashtra, as the Congress, the NCP and the Shiv Sena have almost arrived on consensus on the Common Minimum Program (CMP).


Accoding to sources, Shiv Sena Uddhav Thackeray may also arrive the national cpaital to partcipate in the meeting with Sonia Gandhi along with Pawar.


The three leaders - Ahmed Patel, Mallikarjun Kharge and K C Venugopal will also sit with the NCP chief to fine tune the power sharing agreement and the CMP between the three parties before the final deal is put to Sonia Gandhi, said sources.


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Notably, Maharashtra came under President`s Rule after no party was able to show the requisite numbers to form a government after the assembly polls. The BJP and Shiv Sena, who fought the polls together, got an absolute majority but could not reach an understading over the government formation. 


BJP, which emerged the single-largest party with 105 seats in 288-member assembly, expressed its inability to form the government. 
The state Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari later asked Shiv Sena and NCP about their intent and ability to form the government. Both parties sought more time. 


Meanwhile, the Shiv Sena will be sitting with Opposition in both houses of the Parliament, beginning from Monday, with the opposition getting a major boost ahead of the winter session.


The Shiv Sena has 18 MPs in Lok Sabha, while it has three MPs in the Rajya Sabha.


(With Agency Inputs)