Hours after Devendra Fadnavis resigned as Maharashtra Chief Minister amid continuing impasse over power-sharing talks with ally Shiv Sena, the Congress said the governor should now invite the single largest party to form a government.

“There is an unprecedented political situation in the state. We thought Fadnavis will stake claim, but he resigned. We listened to Fadnavis and (Sena chief) Uddhav Thackeray (who held separate press conferences) with curiosity and realised that the situation is not good,” said state Congress president Balasaheb Thorat.

Thorat made the statement after he and other Congress leaders met NCP chief Sharad Pawar at his residence today.

Meanwhile, with allies BJP and Shiv Sena looking no closer to forming a government together in Maharashtra even a day before the assembly’s term ends, senior Sena leader Sanjay Raut threw another verbal attack at the BJP saying the BJP should form government as the single largest party and take “not 15 days but one month” to prove its majority. The deadline for government formation is midnight on Friday.

Sanjay Raut said it was up to the BJP to stake claim to power and prove its majority. “The single largest party should get the opportunity to form government first. That is the BJP. They should get not just 15 days, but one month to prove their majority in the assembly,” Raut told media.

The Shiv Sena has refused to back down on its demand for a “50:50” partnership with the BJP, including rotational chief ministership, and has moved its MLAs to a hotel in Mumbai in an apparent attempt to prevent defections to the BJP.

The rift between the BJP and the Shiv Sena seems to be widening as the two parties on Friday held each other responsible for the impasse over government formation.

While acting Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis accused Sena chief of lying further refusing of any talks with him over seat sharing, Thackeray fired back saying that Amit Shah had agreed to it.