The Governor of Maharashtra Bhagat Singh Koshyari has now invited the third-largest party, Nationalist Congress Party, to form the government in the state within 24 hours.

The development in the state's political logjam comes after the Governor, earlier on Monday, rejected Shiv Sena's plea to extend time for the party to stake claim to form the government.

"We have been called by the Governor to form the government. As per the letter given by the Governor, we'll hold discussions with Congress and see how a stable govt can be provided to the state.

The Sena after breaking thirty year-long alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party, dialled Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi, but the Congress is yet to formally extend their support," said NCP spokesperson Nawab Malik.

Neither the Congress nor the NCP has sent the Governor a letter of support to the Shiv Sena yet. A Congress leader said the party will hold discussions with the NCP before they take a final decision.

Many senior Congress leaders, who were camping at a private resort in Jaipur, had rushed to the national capital on Monday in a special plane for the crucial working committee meeting to decide whether the party will support the Shiv Sena in Maharashtra.

Maharashtra Congress State President Bala Saheb Thorat and three former Chief Ministers, Ashok Chavan, Sushil Shinde and Prithviraj Chavan, were all part of the discussions.