Mumbai, Oct 24 (PTI) Amid reported divisions on the leadership issue, a meeting of Congress Legislature Party (CLP) today authorised Congress president Sonia Gandhi to name the new leader who will be Maharashtra chief minister.

Two days after the party stormed back to power for a third time in row, the newly elected MLAs met under the supervision of central observers--AICC general secretary incharge of Maharashtra A K Antony, Rajya Sabha deputy chairman K Rehman Khan and senior leader Digvijay Singh.

As expected, the meeting first "unanimously" resolved to leave the decision on who would land the top job to the Congress president after which the observers elicited the views of the legislators individually.

"A majority of the newly elected MLAs told us they would abide by the decision of the party high command while some of them also gave their preferences (of who should be the next CLP leader).