P.V.Anandpadmanabhan

BJP has pocketed 123 seats in the just concluded assembly polls, while its former ally Shiv Sena has 63 seats in its kitty.

The party is on cloud nine as it is sure to get support of at least fifteen MLAs from the other parties who have come victorious in the polls. The magic number to form government in Maharashtra is 145 – the saffron party is short of 22 seats.

Meanwhile, NCP supremo Sharad Pawar has lent an unconditional support to the BJP from outside. The move is seen by many to keep the saffron party in good humour and prevent them to initiate probe against the Maharashtra strongman’s unaccounted wealth – a la Madam Jayalalitha.

But the BJP had promised during election rallies to bring the corrupt politicians to book and throw them behind bars. The honeymoon – if that ever materialized would end up in bitter divorce, with BJP too anticipated to bear the brunt…

Or is this a ploy to use this as a magic stick to get Shiv Sena into the alliance without allowing them to claim for any big portfolio.

The BJP and Shiv Sena are in the process to hammer out deals.

In the meantime there have been eyebrows rolling on who will be the BJP chief ministerial candidate, whether it will be Pankaja Munde, Devendra Phadnavis, Nitin Gadkhari……