In a blow to the Bharatiya Janata Party-led (BJP) National Democratic Alliance (NDA), Union Minister of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises and Shiv Sena MP Arvind Sawant resigned from his ministerial post early on Monday morning. This is a major step as the Shiv Sena is heading towards a separate way from the NDA in Maharashtra.

Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray is likely to stake a claim on Monday to form the government with the support of the NCP. Senior Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Nawab Malik had said on Sunday that the Sena will have to severe its all relations with the BJP to get the support of his party in forming the government in the state.

A Shiv Sena-NCP government along with a few Independent MLAs and the outside support of the Congress will easily cross the majority mark of 145 in Maharashtra Assembly. While the Shiv Sena has 56 MLAs, it also claims the support of 7 Independents and along with the 54-member NCP and the 44-MLA strong Congress, the group will have 161 legislators on its side.

According to sources, an agreement has been finalised between the Sena and the NCP during talks held between Thackeray and Sharad Pawar. A day after Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari invited Shiv Sena, the second-largest party in the state, to indicate its willingness to form the government, Uddhav will meet him on Monday. The Congress will give support to the Shiv Sena-NCP government from outside, said a source.