Maharashtra Political Crisis: The total strength of Maharashtra Assembly is 288.
As the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maharashtra coalition went into crisis mode after a revolt by minister Eknath Shinde and 21 more MLAs, the BJP claimed that it has 134 votes- a big claim at a time numbers are crucial for both the ruling combine and the opposition.
The 22 MLAs -- 21 from Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena and one independent- moved into a hotel in Gujarat's Surat.
The total strength of Maharashtra Assembly is 288. With one legislator dead, the number is down to 287. This means the majority mark in the Assembly, in the event of a trust vote, is now 144.
The Maha Vikas Aghadi government of the Sena, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the Congress currently has 152 legislators.
If the "missing" MLAs led by minister Eknath Shinde resign, the Sena's number comes down to 34. That brings down the ruling coalition's strength in the House to 130. With 22 MLAs resigning, the new majority mark in the House will be 133.
BJP leader Sudhir Mungantiwar said the BJP had managed 134 votes in the Legislative Council elections held yesterday.
"It was no secret that several Sena leaders were unhappy with the government as well," said Mr Mungantiwar, a former minister.
"In the MLC elections on Monday, the BJP managed to secure 134 votes, which technically means we are short of 11 votes (in the 288-member Maharashtra Assembly) to stake claim to form government. But it easier to say it than actually make it happen," he said.
Maharashtra BJP president Chandrakant Patil said if the BJP received "any proposal" from Eknath Shinde to form government, they would "definitely consider it".
Mr Shinde went incommunicado with 21 MLAs a day after the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi lost one out of the six seats it contested in the Legislative Council election.
Mr Patil claimed he was "not aware" Eknath Shinde went to Surat with other Sena MLAs. "We have nothing to do with his move," he said.
"If the BJP receives any proposal from Eknath Shinde to form government, we would definitely consider it seriously. After all, we all have worked together in the past, hence it is much better to work and run a government with them," added the BJP leader.
He held Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut responsible for the frosty relations between the Sena and the BJP. "He (Raut) is also doing a lot of damage to the state...and he is doing it on someone's behalf," the BJP leader alleged.
The Shiv Sena broke up with long-term ally BJP over a disagreement over power sharing after the 2019 Maharashtra election. The Sena later tied up with the NCP and Congress to form government in the state.