New Delhi, October 24
Continuing her discussions to take a decision on the change of guard in Jammu and Kashmir, Congress President Sonia Gandhi today met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and some other senior party leaders to discuss the various options before the party.

The meeting at the residence of Ms Gandhi was attended by Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Human Resource Development Minister Arjun Singh, Urban Development Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, Congress General Secretaries Ambika Soni and A K Antony, party MPs Dr Karan Singh and Mr Saiffuddin Soz besides Mr M L Fotedar.

Prior to the meeting at Ms Gandhi’s residence, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed called on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Apart from apprising the Prime Minister of the relief and rehabilitation of the earthquake victims in the state, Mr Sayeed conveyed his views on power sharing between the People’s Democratic Party and the Congress. Mr Sayeed and PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti had met Ms Gandhi yesterday to apprise her of the situation in the state and convey their views on change of guard on the scheduled date of November 2.

Briefing newspersons about today’s meeting at Ms Gandhi's residence, Congress spokesman Anand Sharma said that a comprehensive review of the entire situation was being done in the sensitive border state. ‘‘A decision will be taken very shortly,’’ he said.

He said that Ms Gandhi would consult party legislatures from Jammu and Kashmir before arriving at the final decision. Mr Sharma, however, added that there had not been any change in the position on the agreement under which the Chief Minister was to be from the PDP for the first three years of the assembly’s six-year term and from the Congress for the remaining three years.