Shiv Sena is likely to bring up the 50-50 formula with its increasing strength

Mumbai, Oct 24: As the Shiv Sena, NCP is strengthening its hold on Maharashtra as per the initial trends, the seat of power in Maharashtra appears no longer to lie solely with BJP.

With its increasing strength in the state, Shiv Sena is likely to bring up the 50-50 formula, under which both the BJP and Shiv Sena will have the CM post for 2 and a half years each.

Speaking on the same, Shiv Sena's Sanjay Raut said that he is going to meet Uddhav Thackeray.

Meanwhile, the BJP is leading with 104 seats, Shiv Sena in 62 and the NCP in 52. This was the scene when trends for 272 of 288 seats in Maharashtra were available.

The results also show two more possibilities. Experts have also suggested that the NCP leading at 52 seats, and the Congress leading on 38 seats, that the possibility of an alliance between Sena, NCP and the Congress can't be eliminated.

During the 2014 Maharashtra Assembly election, BJP had fought on its own as the Shiv Sena had refused to accommodate the aspirations of the BJP.

BJP had emerged with 122 seats, just 23 seats short of the majority mark. Shiv Sena had 63 seats.

With the result coming in BJP is trailing in 23 seats that it won the last election and this is likely to give Shiv Sena an alliance partner that has increasingly grown uncomfortable with the Modi-led BJP's domination in national politics.

The traditional alliance between the two parties has since been stormy, with Sena repeatedly attacking the BJP on different fronts.

For the NCP too, particularly it's chief Sharad Pawar, it was important to become the face of the opposition and ensure that the Congress, without a face of its own, takes a backseat.