A crucial meeting of the NCP-Congress joint coordination committee to work out modalities for power-sharing in Maharashtra is currently underway at the Trident Hotel in Mumbai, said sources on Thursday.According to reports, senior NCP leader and party president Sharad Pawar's nephew Ajit Pawar is also present in the meeting along with top state Congress leaders. Ajit Pawar had earlier said that he will head to Baramati on Thursday since the proposed joint coordination committee meeting was postponed. A day after indicating their willingness to form the government, the two parties had constituted a joint-coordination committee to discuss the nitty-gritty of power-sharing agreement between them.

The coordination committee formed by two parties and Congress Ajit Pawar, Jayant Patil, Chhagan Bhujbal, Dhananjay Munde and Nawab Malik from the NCP and Balasaheb Thorat, Ashok Chavan, Prithviraj Chavan,Manikrao Thakre and Vijay Vadettiwar from the Congress.

On Wednesday, the NCP, Shiv Sena and Congress had reportedly agreed on a power-sharing deal for Maharashtra. Sources had told Zee Media on Wednesday that Sharad Pawar's NCP and Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena havearrived at a consensus on ''50-50 power-sharing formula'' in Maharashtra.

The two sides have reportedly agreed to share the chief ministerial position for 2.5 years each, while the Congress – the third partner in the power-sharing deal – has settled for the post of deputy chief ministerfor five years. However, no agreement could be reached on the MaharashtraAssembly Speaker's post.The three parties are likely to make a formalannouncement as soon as a broad consensus is reached on the power-sharing dealin Maharashtra and the common minimum programme for the Shiv Sena-NCP-Congressgovernment in the state.

Shiv Sena had earlier sought support from Pawar's NCP andthe Congress, severing its 25-year-old old ties with the BJP after the saffronparty rejected its demand for rotational chief minister ship and 50-50power-sharing agreement.The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the Congresshad earlier said that they can support Shiv Sena to end the political deadlockin the state.

It may be recalled that the BJP, despite emerging as thesingle-largest party in Maharashtra, had declined to form the government sinceits lacks majority in the 288-member Maharashtra assembly, while the Shiv Senafailed to give a letter of support to the state's Governor Bhagat SinghKoshyari.As the political logjam continued, Koshyari recommended the impositionof President's Rule in Maharashtra, which was later approved by President RamNath Kovind on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, BJP president and Home Minister Amit Shah onWednesday, November 13, slammed the opposition parties, for raising a ruckusover the imposition of President`s Rule in Maharashtra. Shah said it was `ameaningless exercise to gain public sympathy` because anyone can still approachthe Governor if they have a majority to form the government.The Home Ministertold ANI, "We were ready to form the government with the Shiv Sena. Butthere were certain things of Shiv Sena we could not have agreed."

In his first interview since Maharashtra`s results were outon October 24, Shah said that during the campaign for Maharashtra assemblypolls, the BJP leaders including Prime Minister Narendra Modi said thatDevendra Fadnavis will continue to be the Chief Minister if BJP-Shiv Senaalliance is elected back to power. "Nobody contradicted it. Now some mewconditions have come up. We have reservations on this and the party will take adecision at an appropriate time," he said, adding "I only want to saythat the ruckus over the President`s Rule is a meaningless exercise to gainpublic sympathy and nothing else."

Shah also took a dig at the Congress over its allegationsthat the President`s Rule was imposed in a hurry and its ally NCP was not givenenough time to show the majority, adding "Probably they do not ask theirallies." The BJP and the Shiv Sena got an absolute majority in Maharashtraassembly polls but could not form the government due to differences overpower-sharing. The Shiv Sena insisted on having the Chief Minister`s post fortwo-and-half-year but the BJP said that there was no such agreement.

The BJP emerged as the single-largest party with 105 seatsfollowed by Shiv Sena with 56, NCP 54 seats and Congress 44.