Deshmukh meets Sonia Gandhi

NEW DELHI, Oct 30 (PTI) — The names of the four Congress ministers to be dropped from the Congress-NCP coalition government in Maharashtra will be decided tomorrow, Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh said tonight.

Mr Deshmukh, who had over an hour-long meeting with Congress President Sonia Gandhi told reporters that consultations were on with the party leadership on the issue and he was hopeful of a decision by tomorrow.

On the other contentious issue of portfolio distribution, he said it was in the final stages and would be announced shortly. Mr Deshmukh is returning to Mumbai tonight.

AICC General Secretary Madhavrao Scindia, in charge of Maharashtra affairs of the party, was also present in the meeting.

Asked if the party was having any difficulty in dropping the ministers, Mr Deshmukh said "it is but natural as they were inducted into the Cabinet only a few days ago". He reiterated that the strength of the ministry would be 55 as against 61 announced earlier.

Soon after his arrival here, the Chief Minister had two rounds of talks with Mr Scindia and discussed these issues before meeting the party President.

The Cong-NCP had reached an agreement last night under which one Cabinet-rank minister and three Ministers of State belonging to the Congress and two Ministers of State of the NCP were to be dropped from the ministry.