Congress yet to choose leader in legislature

Mumbai: Amid government formation in Maharashtra, Congress party held a meeting at the state Legislature on Friday. The party also obtained the signatures of all newly-elected legislators in order to extend support to the Shiv Sena-led state government.

However, the party could not elect its leader of the legislative party at the meeting. According to a source, Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi will decide on the matter later.

Senior Congress leader and former chief minister Ashok Chavan said, “A meeting has been held with the party MLAs. The process of government formation has been completed by obtaining the signature of the legislators."

Even as the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Sena and BJP elected their legislative party leaders, the Congress failed to do so even after holding a meeting at Tilak Bhavan a few days back.

A source in the Congress said that once the date for the Assembly session is announced, the name of the party’s legislative leader will be declared.

Further, the party legislative leader may also be the deputy chief minister in the Sena-led state government. With many Congress leaders aspiring to become deputy chief ministers, the process of electing the party’s legislative leader is being delayed.

Mr Chavan, former chief minister Prithviraj Chavan, Congress state president Balasaheb Thorat, and senior Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar are said to be in the fray to led the legislative party.

Earlier in the day, the Congress and NCP held a meeting with the smaller parties of the Maha Aghadi at Dhananjay Munde's residence.