Maharashtra Assembly number game: Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress vs BJP-led opposition

Despite a pre-poll alliance and a clear public mandate, the BJP lost an opportunity to form its third government in Maharashtra with its old ally, the Shiv Sena.

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Mumbai: With the Shiv Sena and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) all set to come together to form government in Maharashtra with the outside support of the Congress, the over 19-day-long political uncertainty in the state is likely to end. The 105-member Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its alliance partner Shiv Sena, which had 56 MLAs, have been unable to reconcile their differences over power-sharing and the chief minister's post ever since the result of the 288-member Maharashtra Assembly election was declared on October 24, 2019.

A Shiv Sena-NCP government along with a few Independent MLAs and the outside support of the Congress will easily cross the majority mark of 145 in Maharashtra Assembly. While the Shiv Sena has 56 MLAs, it also claims the support of 7 Independents and along with the 54-member NCP and the 44-MLA strong Congress, the group will have 161 legislators on its side.

On the other hand, the opposition camp will have the BJP, which is the single-largest party of the Assembly with 105 MLAs, All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) 2, Bahujan Vikas Aaghadi 3, Communist Party of India (Marxist) 1, Independents 6, Jan Surajya Shakti 1, Krantikari Shetkari Party 1, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena 1, Peasants And Workers Party of India 1, Prahar Janshakti Party 2, Rashtriya Samaj Paksha 1, Samajwadi Party 2 and Swabhimani Paksha 1. Their total strength stands at 117.

The strength of different parties after the Maharashtra Assembly election 2019 is as follows:

Party	MLAs
All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen	2
Bahujan Vikas Aaghadi	3
Bharatiya Janata Party	105
Communist Party of India (Marxist)	1
Independent	13
Indian National Congress	44
Jan Surajya Shakti	1
Krantikari Shetkari Party	1
Maharashtra Navnirman sena	1
Nationalist Congress Party	54
Peasants And Workers Party of India	1
Prahar Janshakti Party	2
Rashtriya Samaj Paksha	1
Samajwadi Party	2
Shiv Sena	56
Swabhimani Paksha	1
Total	288

Shiv Sena has been adamant on having its leader as the chief minister of Maharashtra, a demand which the BJP has outrightly rejected. BJP leadership has been pointing out that the party has the right to have the chief minister's post by virtue of being the single-largest in Maharashtra Assembly and denied that it had agreed to a 50:50 formula for the post with the Shiv Sena.