The Congress, despite a split in the party after expulsion of Sharad Pawar, has emerged as the single largest party, will also hold a meeting of its elected legislators on Friday and take a formal decision on staking its claim with support from secular parties.

The ruling alliance is expecting to garner 130 seats and is confident about mustering support from at least 12 independents. The Sena has secured more than 65 seats and the BJP, which was expecting more seats than its alliance partner, has won about 56 seats.

Chief Minister Narayan Rane told The Financial Express on Thursday that the alliance is set to form the government after the election of legislature party leader on Saturday. "I am confident that the alliance will form the next government in the state," he opined.

Rane is likely to be the frontrunner for the coveted post. State assembly speaker Datta Nalavade is also another aspirant for the chief minister's post. Ironically, Deputy Chief Minister Gopinath Munde is yet again likely to miss the bus as the BJP failed to get more seats than the Sena.

According to an understanding between the alliance partners, the party with the maximum number of seats will be entitled to the chief minister's post.Meanwhile, hectic efforts are on to arrive at an understanding between the Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) in a bid to form the government and keep the ruling alliance away from power. Separate meetings were held in these party folds though a formal agreement is yet to be arrived at.

The combined strength of both, the Congress and the NCP, crosses the magic figure of 144 required for simple majority. However, things will ultimately depend on Congress president Sonia Gandhi and NCP president Sharad Pawar.State Congress president Prataprao Bhosale and Pawar-baiter Suresh Kalmadi have ruled out the possibility of either a merger of the two parties or accepting blatant support from the NCP during the formation of government.

However, top sources said the All India Congress Committee general secretary and former state Congress president Sushilkumar Shinde may emerge as a consensus candidate for the chief minister's post while the firebrand NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal may become deputy chief minister.

Pawar has already rushed to Mumbai to hold parlyes with his party leaders and decide the future course of action. Both parties are also banking on the support from 12 independents, five members of Peasants and Workers Party, three of Bahujab Mahasangh (an ally of the Congress), two CPM, two Janata Dal (Secular), two Samajwadi Party (both these parties were an electoral ally of the NCP) and four others.