<p class="title">Union minister and senior BJP leader Nitin Gadkari on Monday held talks here with party leaders and alliance partner Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) to select a new Goa chief minister following the death of Manohar Parrikar.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The BJP-led coalition in Goa began discussions on Sunday night to find a new leader to replace Parrikar, who had died earlier in the evening.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Parrikar, 63, was heading a coalition government comprising the BJP, the Goa Forward Party (GFP), the MGP and Independents.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Gadkari arrived in the coastal state past midnight and resumed the talks with leaders of the BJP and MGP at a hotel near Panaji in the morning.</p>.<p class="bodytext">BJP MLA Vishwajit Rane, MGP leader Sudin Dhavalikar, who are aspirants for the chief minister's post, attended the meeting. A third contender, Pramod Sawant, who is currently the speaker, was not present.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Leaders of the GFP were not called for the meeting.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Dhavalikar said clarity on the leadership issue was expected by 3 pm.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Congress is the single largest party in the state with 14 MLAs. The BJP has 12 legislators in the 40-member Goa assembly.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The GFP, MGP and Independents have three MLAs each while the NCP has one legislator. </p>
<p class="title">Union minister and senior BJP leader Nitin Gadkari on Monday held talks here with party leaders and alliance partner Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) to select a new Goa chief minister following the death of Manohar Parrikar.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The BJP-led coalition in Goa began discussions on Sunday night to find a new leader to replace Parrikar, who had died earlier in the evening.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Parrikar, 63, was heading a coalition government comprising the BJP, the Goa Forward Party (GFP), the MGP and Independents.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Gadkari arrived in the coastal state past midnight and resumed the talks with leaders of the BJP and MGP at a hotel near Panaji in the morning.</p>.<p class="bodytext">BJP MLA Vishwajit Rane, MGP leader Sudin Dhavalikar, who are aspirants for the chief minister's post, attended the meeting. A third contender, Pramod Sawant, who is currently the speaker, was not present.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Leaders of the GFP were not called for the meeting.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Dhavalikar said clarity on the leadership issue was expected by 3 pm.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Congress is the single largest party in the state with 14 MLAs. The BJP has 12 legislators in the 40-member Goa assembly.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The GFP, MGP and Independents have three MLAs each while the NCP has one legislator. </p>