After the Shiv Sena failed to produce letters of support from the Congress and the NCP, state governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari has now left the ball in NCP’s court asking them to form the government in the state.

Koshyari has given them deadline till 8:30 pm tomorrow to take the final call.

Sharad Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), the third in line in the number of seats, confirmed this evening that it has received a call from Governor.

NCP chief Sharad Pawar had earlier made it clear that any decision on the role of the party will be taken only after consultations with the Congress, its alliance partner.

Shiv Sena leader Aaditya Thackeray said that the Maharashtra governor had refused to grant their party two days time to stake claim to form the government. The governor had earlier given Shiv Sena time until 7.30 pm to express their willingness to form government. The Shiv Sena failed to produce letters of support from the Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) but Thackeray said that both the parties had agreed in-principle to support the Shiv Sena government.

The Congress did not rule out support to the Sena but said in a noncommittal statement: “The Congress president has spoken to Sharad Pawar. The party will have further discussions with NCP.” Party leader Prithviraj Chavan said the talks will go on and left for Mumbai for discussions with MLAs.

Sources say senior Sonia Gandhi called back Thackeray as a matter of courtesy after several phone calls from him. The Congress president reportedly told Thackeray she would get back to him after consulting her MLAs.

Sources say senior Sonia Gandhi called back Mr Thackeray as a matter of courtesy after several phone calls from him. The Congress president reportedly told Mr Thackeray she would get back to him after consulting her MLAs.