Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari likely to invite BJP to form government in Maharashtra on Saturday: Sources

New Delhi: A day after Devendra Fadnavis resigned as Maharashtra Chief Minister amid continuing tussle with ally Shiv Sena over power-sharing, sources on Saturday said that Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari is likely to invite the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to form government in the state. The tenure of Maharashtra Assembly ends on Saturday (November 9) and hence, by the end of today, a government needs to be formed. 

BJP, however, is not in favour of forming a minority government and source added that the party might reject the governor's invite to form the government. 

In the 288-member Maharashtra Assembly, BJP, despite emerging as the single-largest party in the state, could not get a majority. In the election, BJP won 105 seats, Sena 56, Sharad Pawar's Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) 54, and Congress 44. To stake claim to form government, a party needs 145 seats.

If BJP rejects the proposal to form government, the governor will then invite the second-largest party - Shiv Sena - to form government. However, Uddhav Thackeray's party is far away from the halfway-mark to form a government in Maharashtra independently. Apart from the 56 MLAs, it has just the support of a few independents. 

The BJP and Shiv Sena, which have a combined seat strength of 161, could have easily form a coalition government in Maharashtra but due to a rift over power-sharing talks, there has been a delay. Both the parties are locked in a bitter tussle over the chief minister's post. Sena wants a government under 50:50 formula and the BJP has clearly stated the demands won't be fulfilled. 

Notably, Sena can also seek support from the Congress and NCP. However, their parties chiefs Sonia Gandhi and Sharad Pawar haven't given a green signal to it yet.