BJP keeps Sena in suspense, Fadnavis, Khattar front-runners

BJP appears to have decided to keep Shiv Sena in suspense while going ahead with government-formation with the unconditional backing of NCP as Devendra Fadnavis emerged the front-runner in Maharashtra and Manohar Lal Khattar in Haryana for the post of chief minister.
Hectic consultations marked the day starting with discussions on Maharashtra between BJP chief Amit Shah and Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, who hails from the state, on the strategy to be adopted in the wake of unsolicited support from rival NCP.
Shah drove down to Gadkari's residence and spent some 45 minutes there and the two worked out their further strategy on government-formation in Maharashtra where the party fell short of a majority.

Maharashtra, where the party has fallen short of majority by 22 seats in the 288-member Assembly, presented a strange problem for BJP which has to decide on whether to completely dump its 25-year-old saffron partner Shiv Sena and tacitly take NCP's support.
While BJP broke its alliance with Shiv Sena before the elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had launched a blistering attack on NCP during the election campaign but spared Shiv Sena.
The ego clash that had sparked off the split in the saffron alliance in Maharashtra appears to be playing a role in the post-poll scenario too, say BJP sources.

The party is believed to be okay with NCP's support and will go ahead and stake claim to form the government after electing its leader of the BJP Legislature Party tomorrow.
There is a view in the party that it is not necessary for BJP to produce the majority before government formation.
Though there was speculation of a back-channel talk between the two sides, there was no confirmation if such an exercise was on.