Maharashtra

ahead and form a government if it had the numbers. “The mandate was for the alliance; why didn’t they come forward to discuss [government formation] on the day results were announced?” he asked.

The BJP emerged as the single largest party in the 288-member assembly with 105 seats. The Sena won 56 seats, the Nationalist Congress Party, 54, and the Congress, 44. A party needs 145 MLAS to achieve a simple majority in the assembly.

Raut’s remarks seemed to hint at the possibility of the Sena forming government with the backing of the Congress and the NCP. However, while there’s been a lot of talk of “options” by leaders of the Congress and the NCP, none have yet gone on record with an open statement of support for the Sena.

Raut met NCP chief Sharad Pawar at his house on Thursday; he later told reporters that he had gone to extend belated Diwali wishes to Pawar, but added that they did discuss “the politics in Maharashtra”.that meeting, followed up by Friday’s warning, was seen as an effort to counter the BJP narrative that the Shiv Sena would eventually come around and agree to form government with the BJP.

“People have given the mandate to form the government on basis of 50-50 formula that was reached in front of people of Maharashtra.they want chief minister from Shiv Sena. There will be a Shiv Sena chief minister,” Raut said.

Political analyst Prakash Bal said Friday’s statement by Raut seemed to be a pressure tactic. “It is unlikely that the Shiv Sena will go with the Congress-ncp to form the government... It will be an unstable government. Also, Sharad Pawar is not likely to support a Sena-led government. We will have to wait and see how the BJP reacts to it,” Bal said.

NCP leader Ajit Pawar said late on Thursday that the people of the state had asked his party to sit in the Opposition, as reflected in the election results, and it will do so. Senior state Congress leaders were in Delhi on Friday to apprise the party leadership of the political situation in Maharashtra.

State unit chief Balasaheb Thorat said there was political instability in the state and blamed the BJP for it. “Our stand now is wait and watch,” Thorat said.

To be sure, the BJP did leave room for an eventual compromise with the Sena.

“People of Maharashtra have given the mandate not to any party but to the Mahayuti (alliance comprising BJP, Shiv Sena and other parties),” Mugantiwar said. “Out alliance is stronger than Fevicol or Ambuja Cement,” he added, riffing off advertising lines for an adhesive and a cement brand.

“We are willing to take the initiative and start the talks to end this impasse. This is just a small hurdle. The mandate is for both of us. It would be unfortunate if we can’t form the government by November 8,” he said. “It would be unfortunate if we let oneupmanship derail the talks.”

A senior BJP leader in New Delhi said the party is looking forward to the swearing-in of Fadnavis as the chief minister by the middle of next week. “We expect the Sena to be on board by Sunday or Monday,” this leader said.

There is no immediate plan for BJP president and home minister Amit Shah to travel to Mumbai, this leader added, but admitted that Shah could travel to the city and engage with the Sena if Fadnavis fails to close negotiations with Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray.

“We are at work and hope to form government,” a second BJP leader, who asked not to be named, said. mostly ultra-fine PM2.5 particles — had shot up from 15% on Tuesday to 46% on Friday.

“Delhi has turned into a gas chamber due to smoke from crop burning in neighbouring states. It is very [important] that we protect ourselves from this toxic air,” chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said in a tweet on Friday morning, while posting photographs of a government function to distribute breathing masks to children.

Hours after the event, the CM announced that schools in Delhi will be shut till Tuesday following a recommendation from Epca.

“We have to take this as a public health emergency as air pollution is now hazardous and will have adverse health impacts on all, but particularly our children,” Epca chairperson Bhure Lal said in a letter to the administrations of Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Rajasthan.

The Epca also ordered a complete ban on construction work, firecracker use, and activities of polluting industries such as stone-crushers.

The order came amid growing criticism of the response mechanism — the Graded Response Action Plan (Grap) — and a rule that says escalating curbs will apply only when pollution has been severe for more than 48 hours.

Experts, including some from within Epca, also questioned why some curbs such as shutting of schools was kept only in most extreme scenarios such as when an emergency had to be declared.

According to officials, people in NCR will need to wait till the weather changes for any relief. “A western disturbance is approaching and this is expected to trigger some strong surface winds, which in turn would help flush out pollutants. Significant improvement is expected from Sunday onwards,” said a senior official of Safar.

Delhi, meteorologists explained, is at present trapped in a cycle of pollution that blocks out the sun, which in turn makes the day temperatures cooler — a crucial factor that again leads to pollutants being trapped in the air. Once winds help clear some pollutants, more sunshine will aid in warming and, thus, clearing away more particles.

Beginning on Monday, oddeven road rationing restrictions will apply in the national capital. The Delhi government also announced that 42 agencies, including Delhi government departments, municipal corporations and the state election commission, will work in staggered office timings untill oddeven restrictions end on November 14.

The crisis in the national capital also took a political turn, with chief minister Kejriwal demanding the Centre and the state governments of Punjab and Haryana come up with “specific timelines” to end the practice of farm fires.

Union environment minister Prakash Javadekar on Friday said Kejriwal was “politicising” the pollution problem and indulging in a “blame game”, before making accusations against the Delhi administration for not taking enough steps. The minister said Kejriwal’s government had not released the state’s share for the Eastern Peripheral Expressway and a bypass road that could reduce pollution levels in the national capital. “The state government had to release ~3,500 crore but they did not give it. They had to release ~1,000 crore on a court order,” Javadekar said.