BJP caught in Maharashtra cleft-stick

It is at best a pyrrhic victory for the BJP in Maharashtra. Given the fractured mandate, it will have to do a lot of tightrope walking.

The party fell short of majority and needs the support of at least 22 outside MLAs. It is now exploring options. It will be entirely dependent on a demanding and belligerent opposition for pushing through any policy initiatives or major decisions. But all this means a period of political instability for Maharashtra.
While the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) provided some relief with an offer of unconditional external support, this may come with many hidden strings attached. Shiv Sena on its part said it would not give unsolicited support.
Sunday's outcome shows that the numbers game has become tricky on all fronts with many distinct possibilities emerging. The BJP needs minimum 22 seats for a simple majority - with the NCP's 41, it crosses the minimum threshold limits easily.
In another potential scenario, if the Congress (42) and NCP (41) were to unite and offer 'outside support' to Sena (63), the three together achieve the magic figure of 146. Some smaller parties and independents may also follow suit since all had one objective of keeping the "BJP out" at all costs.
The BJP will also have to keep two of its strong CM contenders in good humour. While state BJP president Devendra Fadnavis is the architect of the BJP win in Maharashtra, Shiv Sena clearly dislikes him. He would also be from the Vidarbha region, unlike most CMs who are from the Marathwada region. The other major contender Pankaja Munde is the daughter of charismatic Gopinath Munde. Shiv Sena has no objection to her candidature.
As of now, all parties are keeping their options open, but their cards close to their chest. The picture is likely to become clear in a couple of days.