New Delhi:
It's down to the wire. An hour before the Prime Minister's council of ministers will expand to include about 20 new members, it's still unclear over whether a Shiv Sena leader will be among them.
If a deal is sealed, Anil Desai from the Shiv Sena, who has flown to Delhi from Mumbai, will join the union government. But what unfolds in the capital depends entirely on negotiations over Mumbai, where the Sena is waiting to join the BJP government.
Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray has been on hold since the BJP won the most seats in last month's state election. The party does not have a majority, and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis will take a trust vote on Wednesday. The BJP has refused to add the Sena to the state government before then -a point that has greatly rankled Mr Thackeray. Allowing the BJP considerable comfort is Sharad Pawar, who has said his party will abstain in the trust vote, allowing Mr Fadnavis to clear it.
Mr Thackeray has reportedly told the BJP today that if it utilizes Mr Pawar's support, any chance of a reunion with the Sena is over.
As an offer of good faith, the BJP has reportedly said it wants to include the Sena's Suresh Prabhu in the union government. Mr Prabhu attended a tea hosted by the PM this morning for new ministers, but left before the meeting ended, signaling that differences between the BJP and Sena may not have been reconciled.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, sources say, will attend the oath-taking ceremony today at Rashtrapati Bhavan to demonstrate to the Sena that it remains interested in a partnership.
The BJP knows that Mr Pawar has earned his reputation as an undependable ally, so a partnership with the Sena is important strategically. However, it does not want to cede to what it feels are exaggerated claims by Mr Thackeray for posts like Deputy Chief Minister and an important portfolio like Home or Finance for his party.