NCP-Congress stand-off on, Prithviraj Chavan holds meet

New Delhi: The power tussle between allies Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) seems far from over. The NCP is meeting on Monday at its president Sharad Pawar's residence to decide on the future of its partnership with the Congress. Ahead of that meeting, however, Pawar made a courtesy call on President-elect Pranab Mukherjee on Monday morning.

On Friday, the party had put the UPA on notice, with Pawar and his colleague Praful Patel issuing veiled threats of quitting the Cabinet.

Sources say the real trigger for the crisis may not be a fight for more influence at the Centre but the need for protection of NCP ministers in Maharashtra facing graft probes under Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan.

Chavan met Congress ministers in Maharashtra on Monday after NCP\'s allegations of no coordination in the state.

Top NCP sources have confirmed that the NCP leadership wants Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress President Sonia Gandhi to rein in Chavan.

Chavan is currently meeting Congress ministers in Maharashtra after the NCP made allegations of lack of coordination between the NCP and the Congress in the state.

Sources say that Chavan has said he will wait and watch and wait for "orders from Delhi". He and other Congress MLAs have flayed NCP's moves as a pressure tactic.

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