The new government in Maharashtra will be formed under the leadership of Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, NCP president Sharad Pawar said on Friday.

Pawar said there was a consensus on Thackeray's leadership, after a marathon meeting of top leaders of the Congress, the NCP and the Sena, who were working on forming a government in the state.

'There is a consensus that leadership of the government will be with Uddhav Thackeray,' he told reporters after the meeting.

He said the meeting at Nehru Centre in central Mumbai deliberated extensively on finalising an agenda for governance.

Top leaders such as Eknath Shinde, Subhash Desai, Sanjay Raut from the Shiv Sena, Ahmed Patel, Mallikarjun Kharge, K. C. Venugopal, Avinash Pande, Balasaheb Thorat, Prithviraj Chavan from the Congress, and Praful Patel, Jayant Patil and Ajit Pawar from the NCP were taking part in the meeting.

Senior Congress leader Manikrao Thakare told PTI that Friday's meeting was part of efforts by the three parties to evolve a consensus on development agenda for governance for the prospective ruling coalition.

'The draft of a common minimum programme and power-sharing arrangement worked out by the Congress-NCP is being discussed with the Shiv Sena leadership. Based on what has been agreed upon and any suggestions to be incorporated is being worked out further,' said the former Maharashtra Congress chief.

NCP leader Jayant Patil said smaller pre-poll allies of his party and the Congress have backed the idea of forming a government with the Sena to keep the BJP away from power in the state.