Mumbai: Though the government has been formed, it is still not clear if it has a clear majority. The Governor has given Devendra Fadnavis time till November 30 to prove his majority on the floor of the legislative Assembly. The BJP has 105 MLAs and needs 40 more to reach the majority mark.
According to sources, nearly 28 to 30 NCP MLAs are with Ajit Pawar. The BJP also has the support of around 15 Independent MLAs. However, NCP chief Sharad Pawar and Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray claimed that the government would not survive the floor test.
A senior BJP leader requesting anonymity said that Ajit Pawar is in touch with 28 to 30 legislators, including Dhananjay Munde, whom Fadnavis wants inducted into his Cabinet.
By evening, most MLAs who were with Ajit Pawar joined the NCP MLAs meeting called by Sharad Pawar.
“Nearly 50 MLAs are with Sharad Pawar. Mr Fadnavis cannot prove majority in the floor test,” claimed NCP MLA Jitendra Awhad.
However, MLAs attending a party meeting is not an indication of how they will vote in the Assembly, said political analyst Abhay Deshpande.
“After so much effort by the BJP’s national leadership and the Union cabinet for government formation, it is not possible that the BJP will let NCP MLAs go back so easily.
They must be confident of how they will vote in the Assembly and that is all that will matter now,” Deshpande said.
The senior BJP leader also claimed that one should not be surprised if Supriya Sule, daughter of Sharad Pawar, would be inducted in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s cabinet in the future.
“The NCP wants to become Maharashtra’s number two party by spoiling the Shiv Sena’s image,” he added.
