Here are the top 10 updates on Maharashtra government formation:
Sources say NCP and Congress leaders have told Uddhav Thackeray that his takeover as chief minister would tackle any dissent in his party. There is general agreement that the Sena will keep the chief minister's post for the full five-year term.
Sanjay Raut, asked whether Sharad Pawar had suggested his name for chief minister, said: "This is incorrect. People of Maharashtra want Uddhav Thackeray as the Chief Minister."
Besides Uddhav Thackeray, the other name in circulation for the chief minister's post is that of Sena leader Eknath Shinde. A role for Shiv Sena's first-time MLA Aaditya Thackeray, 29, the first of the Thackeray clan to ever contest polls, was reportedly also discussed in last night's meeting. The NCP and the Congress expect key ministries and the Deputy Chief Minister's posts.
The three parties, with their vastly different election manifestos, are also discussing a common minimum agenda that will accommodate everyone's priorities and concerns.
The alliance has tentatively been named the "Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (Maharashtra development front)", which is meant to signal that the focus is on development.
Reports suggest the Sena, a pro-Hindutva party, is not amenable to including the term "secular" in the common minimum agenda as the Congress had demanded.
The Sena ended its alliance with the BJP, its partner for over three decades, over its demand for equal share in power including rotational chief ministership. Uddhav Thackeray last Monday also called Sonia Gandhi and requested her party's support.
After sitting on the Shiv Sena's request for support for more than a week, the Congress met with the NCP on Wednesday, hours after a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and NCP chief Sharad Pawar fueled intense speculation. The PM-Pawar meeting, alongside PM Modi's praise for NCP in parliament, was seen to have rattled the Congress.
There have been reports that the BJP made overtures to Mr Pawar - his NCP is only two seats behind the Shiv Sena and can help the BJP cross the majority mark in Maharashtra - and that the President's post is on offer.
Maharashtra was placed under President's Rule last week after no party could produce letters of support to prove their majority.
Dawood Declared Terrorist In Individual Capacity, Says Bombay High Court; Grants Bail To Two UAPA Accused Video: Pune Couple Flung Into Air After Speeding Car Hits Their Bike 7 Killed, 3 Injured As Taxi Falls Into Roadside Well In Maharashtra: Report After Retest, Haryana NEET Centre With Most Top Scorers Gave This Result... The 'Fake' CrowdStrike Worker Who Took Credit For Biggest-Ever IT Outage What Recovery Of Austrian Gun 'Steyr AUG' From J&K Terrorists Means Newborn Saved From Dead Mother's Womb After Israel Strikes Gaza Hospital Florida Cops Urge Locals To Stop Taking Selfies With "Depressed" Bear 5 People From Jharkhand's Jamtara Convicted For Money Laundering Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.