Pawar Stolen: How in Under 12 Hours BJP Upset Sena in Maharashtra

What an incredibly dramatic Saturday morning in Maharashtra!

How did BJP pull off an improbable victory less than 12 hours after it seemed certain that Uddhav Thackeray would become CM at the helm of a Sena-NCP-Cong alliance?

(Photo: Altered by The Quint)

How did the BJP pull off an improbable victory in Maharashtra less than 12 hours after it seemed certain that Uddhav Thackeray would become chief minister at the helm of a Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress alliance?

The answer lies in the Pawar family.

NCP supremo Sharad Pawar's nephew Ajit Pawar swore in as deputy CM early on the morning of Saturday, 23 November, joining hands with Devendra Fadnavis, who took oath as CM.

But is this battle for Maharashtra done and dusted? It's hard to say for sure.

Pawar Play

The BJP won 105 seats in the 288-member Maharashtra Legislative Assembly, which means it needs the support of another 40 MLAs to reach the majority mark of 145.

With Sharad Pawar denouncing his nephew’s move to join hands with the BJP as Ajit’s “personal decision” and not the party’s stand, the NCP may very well be headed for a split between its ranks.

But the more important question remains: Of the 53 other NCP MLAs apart from him, how many does Ajit Pawar have the support of? Enough to reach the magic mark of 145 and keep this government afloat?