Ally NCP invited to form Maha govt, Sonia Gandhi calls emergency meet

According to the sources, Congress president Sonia Gandhi has called an emergency meeting of party leaders at 10 am on Tuesday. This follows the Governor’s invite to the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) as the third-largest party to furnish letters of support for the formation of government in Maharashtra. The NCP has been allocated time only till 8.30 pm on Tuesday. Earlier, Shiv Sena indicated its willingness to form the government but requested 48 hours to submit the letters of support from various MLAs. However, the Governor refused to accede to this request. As per the sources, Shiv Sena leaders communicated to the Governor that party supremo Uddhav Thackeray was the leading contender to be the Chief Minister. Since Monday morning, hectic parlays have been going on in NCP, Congress and Shiv Sena camps to forge a post-poll alliance for government formation. 

Read: Congress : 'Mandate Is For Opposition, But High Command Will Decide'

Read: Maharashtra Govt-formation LIVE Updates: Sena Claims Cong-NCP Support

BJP-Shiv Sena alliance in tatters

The Maharashtra assembly election was conducted on October 21. The results declared on October 24 threw up a surprise with the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance not faring as well as expected. The tally of the BJP came down to 105, from 122 seats which they had won in the 2014 election. Shiv Sena too won from only 56 constituencies. However, the BJP and Shiv Sena saw a dramatic falling out despite their alliance emerging the clear winner in the Maharashtra elections, over their inability to decide on who would be Chief Minister. Shiv Sena Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut repeatedly asserted that the next CM would be from his party. Fadnavis and Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray lashed out at each other on November 8, indicating a bleak future for the alliance. Once the BJP declined the Governor's invite to form the government on November 10, it paved the way for an alternative political arrangement to take shape in Maharashtra.

Read: Maharashtra: Here Are Shiv Sena's Options As BJP Dares It To Form Govt

Read: Owaisi Enters Maharashtra Drama, Says He Won't Support Sena-Cong Govt