Will form BJP government in Maharashtra with 119 MLAs: Chandrakant Patil

Maharashtra Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Chandrakant Patil on Friday said that his party has the highest numbers in the assembly and that it will form the government in the state with the support of 119 MLAs.

"We have the highest number. With 119 MLAs we will form a BJP government in the state. Devendra Fadnavis has expressed this confidence before party leaders. We are committed to giving a stable government to the state," Patil said in a press conference here.

He also said that there cannot be a government in Maharashtra without the BJP.

His statement comes after a major development in Maharashtra politics earlier today as NCP leader Nawab Malik said that the chief minister in the state will be from Shiv Sena only.

Malik slammed former chief minister Devendra Fadnavis for asserting that there was no alternative than BJP in Maharashtra to form a government saying: "Devendra Fadnavis is now a former chief minister and he is reacting like a lost General of the Army, who is falsely encouraging his Army to fight in the battlefield".

On Thursday, the leaders of Shiv Sena, Congress and NCP had finalized the draft of the Common Minimum Programme and is now under consideration.

Maharashtra came under President's Rule after no party was able to form the government after the assembly polls.

BJP had won 105 seats in the 288-member Maharashtra assembly whereas Shiv Sena has 56, Congress 44 and NCP 54 seats.