Maharashtra CM Prithviraj Chavan and state Congress chief Manikrao Thakre meet Sonia Gandhi

Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan and state Congress chief Manikrao Thakre on Friday met party President Sonia Gandhi against the backdrop of the party's debacle in the Lok Sabha elections in the state. A central leader, however, said the meeting was on the issue of Legislative Council candidates and had nothing to do with the leadership issue.

All India Congress Committee (AICC) General Secretary Mohan Prakash and Ahmed Patel, political secretary to the Congress president, were also present at the deliberations.

The Congress is contesting Pune teachers, Nagpur graduates and Amravati teachers in constituencies in this biennial election to the upper house of the state legislature.

The poll results declared on May 16 saw Congress getting its lowest tally of just two of the 48 Lok Sabha seats in the state. Soon after the results, Chavan had accepted full responsibility for the defeat.

A senior party leader had last week said that with Assembly polls in Maharashtra due within six months, the party will have to think about corrective measures at the earliest. Former Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan, who managed to win one of the two seats which Congress retained in the state, has already trained his guns at Chavan.