Mumbai:
After days of dithering, the Congress and NCP are meeting at the Maharashtra chief minister's residence in Mumbai on Tuesday evening. Sources have told NDTV that talks for an alliance are now in their last lap.
Sources have said five Congress leaders and five NCP leaders will be present at the meeting.
Senior leaders from both sides including Vilasrao Deshmukh, Sushilkumar Shinde and Praful Patel, Chhagan Bhujbal and Manikrao Gavit will be attending the meeting.
The two sides have been negotiating for weeks and senior leaders say negotiations have entered a final phase now.
Congress leaders are offering the NCP 109 seats, while the Congress wants to contest on 179 seats, according to sources.
They added that some Congressmen wanted tie-up, but friendly fights in pockets. The NCP, meanwhile, has rejected the proposal for any friendly fights.
On Monday, Congress president Sonia Gandhi visited Mumbai to inaugurate the renovated office of Mumbai Regional Congress Committee. Defence Minister A K Antony who is in charge of the party's Maharashtra affairs and NCP chief and Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawara accompanied Gandhi.
The Congress sources, however, refused to link alliance talks with Sonia's Maharashtra visit.
Sources have said five Congress leaders and five NCP leaders will be present at the meeting.
Senior leaders from both sides including Vilasrao Deshmukh, Sushilkumar Shinde and Praful Patel, Chhagan Bhujbal and Manikrao Gavit will be attending the meeting.
The two sides have been negotiating for weeks and senior leaders say negotiations have entered a final phase now.
Congress leaders are offering the NCP 109 seats, while the Congress wants to contest on 179 seats, according to sources.
They added that some Congressmen wanted tie-up, but friendly fights in pockets. The NCP, meanwhile, has rejected the proposal for any friendly fights.
On Monday, Congress president Sonia Gandhi visited Mumbai to inaugurate the renovated office of Mumbai Regional Congress Committee. Defence Minister A K Antony who is in charge of the party's Maharashtra affairs and NCP chief and Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawara accompanied Gandhi.
The Congress sources, however, refused to link alliance talks with Sonia's Maharashtra visit.
Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world
