Mumbai, Nov 13 (IANS): The Congress and the Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Wednesday decided to form a committee to finalise the Common Minimum Programme (CMP) to discuss an alliance with the Shiv Sena to form government in Maharashtra.

According to Congress leaders, the party has named former Chief Ministers Ashok Chavan, Prithviraj Chavan, state unit chief Balasaheb Thorat, Manikrao Thackarey and Vijay Wadettiwar in the committee while the NCP has named Jayant Patil, Ajit Pawar, Chhagan Bhujbal, Dhananjay Munde and Nawab Malik.

The decision to form a committee to discuss the common minimum programme was raised by senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel during his meeting with Sharad Pawar in Mumbai on Tuesday.

The BJP and the Shiv Sena had contested the October 21 assembly elections in alliance. However, the alliance of the two parties fell out after Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackarey demanded the rotational chief ministerial post, a demand denied by the BJP.

President's rule was imposed in Maharashtra on Tuesday evening and the assembly was put in suspended animation.

Following the President's rule in Maharashtra, the Congress and the NCP are holding series of meetings to decide on supporting the Shiv Sena to form government.

In the October 21 elections, out of 288 seats the BJP won 105, while the Shiv Sena bagged 56. The Congress and the NCP which contested the elections together won 44 and 54 seats respectively.