BJP is likely to form a minority government in the state as there seems to be no end to the deadlock over sharing ministerial berths with Shiv Sena.
According to a senior BJP leader from Delhi, the party is preparing to form a minority government with the outside support of NCP (41). It has 123 members in the house. To form the government in the 288-member assembly, BJP needs the support of at least 145 members. With 63 MLAs, Sena is the second largest party in the house.
"In our party, some people want to to cement the alliance with Sena, but some are not so keen. We will try to resolve the issue soon," said Eknath Khadse, senior BJP leader and one of the chief ministerial aspirants.
Union minister Rajnath Singh, BJP's central observer for election of legislature party leader, is expected to arrive in the city on Monday, and BJP legislators will select the party assembly leader in his presence. The leader thus chosen will become the chief minister.
"After this, the process to form the government will start. In a couple of days, we will form the new government," he said.
The senior leader also said Sena would not get important portfolios as it had been demanding. "Sena is no more in a position to dictate terms. It has to accept whatever we offer them. If they are not willing to budge, we are prepared to form a minority government with external support of NCP. We are finalising the venue for swearing in the first BJP government in the state. It will be either at Wankhede Stadium or Mahalaxmi Race Course. Our mantra is minimum government and maximum governance. The ministry will not have more than 20 members," he added.
A Sena leader, meanwhile, told dna that BJP had humiliated the party by not giving their leaders appointments while in Delhi.
"We are ready to negotiate with BJP, but the negotiation has to start somewhere. It looks like BJP is not keen on our support and want to form government on their own," he said.
Interestingly, prime minister Narendra Modi was in the city on Saturday to inaugurate a private multi-facility hospital. And at that function or outside, Modi and Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray were expected to meet to discuss government formation in Maharashtra. However, Uddhav was neither invited to the function nor did Modi make any attempt to meet him.
"Unless, we are invited or called, we cannot sit with the BJP in government. We are not power-hungry. We are ready to sit in the opposition, and will not compromise on our (Marathi) pride and self-respect," said another Sena leader.
Meanwhile, Rashtriya Samaj Paksha leader Mahadev Jankar, who had pre-poll alliance with BJP, is not keen on BJP forming the next government with NCP support. Jankar has one MLA.
"We want a new government without the backing of NCP or Congress against whom we fought the elections highlighting their corruption," Jankar told reporters.
Sources told dna that if BJP formed the government with NCP support, it would be the end of the political careers of Jankar and Shetkari Swabhimani Sangathan leader Rahu Shetty in western Maharashtra.
"They both built up their political career on anti-NCP chief Sharad Pawar plank, and sharing power with NCP would mean ending Shetty-Jankar era in politics," said the source.
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