<span style="color: #222222;">Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress today continued their discussions on government formation in Maharashtra.<br />'' <br />'' A joint meeting for new alliance over government formation modalities between the three parties was held in Mumbai this evening.<br />'' <br />'' The senior leaders of the three parties including  Ahmed Patel and Mallikarjun Kharge of Congress, Shiv Sena President Udhdhav Thackeray and MP Sanjay Raut, NCP President Sharad Pawar and Jayant Patil were present at the meeting.<br />'' <br />'' Talking to reporters after the meeting, NCP president Sharad Pawar said, there is a consensus that Sena chief Uddhav<br />'' Thackeray should lead the new government in Maharashtra.<br />'' <br />'' Earlier Mr Thackeray met his party's legislators at his residence in Mumbai to apprise them on the current political scenario.<br />'' <br />'' The MLAs told the reporters after the meeting that they have fully endorsed the party's efforts to stitch up an alliance with Congress and NCP to form the next government in the state.<br />'' <br />'' Minutes after Shiv Sena deliberation concluded, Congress and NCP met the representatives of their smaller allies in Mumbai. NCP leader Jayant Patil along with Congress's Prithviraj Chavan informed the reporters after the meeting that their other allies Peasants and Workers Party, Samajwadi Party and Swabhimani Paksha have backed the idea of forming a government with the Shiv Sena.<br />''<br />''Earlier, speaking to reporters Congress leader Manikrao Thakare has said that the next Maharashtra chief minister will be from the Shiv Sena.</span><br />