A crucial meeting of the Congress Legislature Party to choose Goa's next chief minister got underway in Panaji on Thursday.

Outgoing Chief Minister Pratap Singh Rane and state party president Ravi Naik are the main contenders for the post while some thought is also being given to a consensus candidate, Congress sources said.

Senior Congress leaders Sushilkumar Shinde, R K Dhawan and Margaret Alva, who were appointed as central observers for the meeting, arrived from Delhi.

The Congress, which bagged 16 seats in the Assembly polls, has received letters of support from two independent MLAs -- Rane's son Vishwajeet and Anil Salgoacar -- and two legislators of the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party.

Its pre-poll ally Nationalist Congress Party won three seats.

The MGP, which had given conditional support to the Congress-NCP combine, on Thursday met Governor S C Jamir and insisted that Rane should continue as chief minister.

The swearing-in of the new chief minister is likely to be held on Thursday night, Congress sources said.