New Goa CM may be sworn in on Thursday

"The formal announcement will come only after party president Sonia Gandhi clears the name. This is likely to happen either late on Wednesday night or on Thursday," Congress leader and MP Shantaram Naik told PTI.

All India Congress Committee General Secretary in charge of Goa, Margaret Alva, who went to Delhi after ascertaining views of party legislators and Nationalist Congress Party, will meet Gandhi later on Wednesday evening, Naik said.

With two contenders for chief minister's post, the Congress is having difficulty to install its government despite having numbers on their sides.

Outgoing Chief Minister Pratapsingh Rane and Goa Pradesh Congress Committee president Ravi Naik are in the race for the chief minister's post.

The Congress party, armed with the support of NCP, Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party and two independents, is all set to form the next Goa government.

The NCP, which is bargaining for deputy chief minister's post, has already given its letter of support to the Congress.

"We will not have a say in who should be the chief minister. It is left to the majority party," NCP Goa unit president Wilfred D'Souza stated on Wednesday.

In the marathon meeting held at a five star hotel, alliance partner NCP put forth their vital demands, including ministerial berths to all its legislators.

"We are having enough support to form the government. Two independents, MGP and NCP have pledged their support to us," Alva told reporters before leaving to Delhi.

On asked about the chief minister, she said the discussion is in process. "We have ample time at hand. We need not rush. This assembly is in place till June 11," Alva said.

She said that there are no problems in the alliance and equations are in the Congress' side.

With an uneasy calm prevailing in Congress circles, all eyes are on Delhi, which will pronounce the name of Goa's next chief minister.