The Congress has decided to extend support to the Shiv Sena to form the government in Maharashtra. The party has faxed its letter of support to Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari.

Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi had spoken to Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray over the phone earlier in the day.

Many senior Congress leaders, who were camping in a private resort in Jaipur, had rushed to the national capital on Monday in a special plane for the crucial working committee meeting to decide whether the party will support the Shiv Sena in Maharashtra.

Maharashtra Congress State President Bala Saheb Thorat and three former Chief Ministers, Ashok Chavan, Sushil Shinde and Prithviraj Chavan, were all part of the discussions.

According to Congress sources, the MLAs, who are currently lodged at Buena Vista, a 5-star resort on the Delhi Highway, will also leave for either Mumbai or Delhi the moment they receive orders.

On Sunday too, a long meeting of Congress leaders had taken place in which Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot participated and held discussions with the three former CMs of Maharashtra.
 
Earlier on Sunday, the Maharashtra Congress had left the decision on naming the Legislative Party leader to interim president Sonia Gandhi. It was also decided in the meeting that the Congress will continue its alliance with the NCP.

Rajasthan remains the centre of Maharashtra Congress politics. Forty Congress MLAs had camped in a private resort near Jaipur for fear of horse-trading.