TopCongress leaders who were supposed to visit Mumbai on Tuesday to discuss thepossibility of a tie-up with the Shiv Sena for the Maharashtra government formationhave cancelled their visit.

Thestate Congress leaders, instead, will hold discussions with the NCP during ameeting at around 4 pm today in Mumbai.

Accordingto senior Congress leader Manikrao Thakare, the visit of top party leaders toMumbai has been cancelled on the request of NCP Chief Sharad Pawar. He saidthat Pawarsaheb said the meeting can be held in two days time with the topleaders and before that, he said that leaders of both the parties inMaharashtra will discuss the future course of action today.

Thakarefurther stated that they might also hold discussion with the Shiv Sena leadersadding that there are certain things which will be clarified today.

The Congress virtually dashed Shiv Sena's hopes of forming a government under its leadership in Maharashtra as the party looked reluctant to enter into an alliance with the latter. "Congress was not comfortable with Sena's stand on Ram temple construction and Uniform Civil Code," said a Sena functionary.

Sources said both Sonia and formerchief Rahul Gandhi were not in favour of backing a Sena-led government. TheCongress high command, however, did not rule out any possibility publicly andkept the Sena waiting.