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?
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)