Following a clear majority win in the Lok Sabha elections, preparations are underway to form the next government under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Meanwhile, the India Alliance, which fell short of a majority, remains hopeful and is exploring options to form a government at the center. In Maharashtra, the Shiv Sena Uddhav faction has already expressed its desire publicly.

According to a report in the Indian Express, the TMC, Shiv Sena Uddhav faction, and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) are keen on forming a government within the India Alliance. The report, citing sources, claims that on the day of the results, TMC chief Mamata Banerjee called Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, asking him to contact N. Chandrababu Naidu and Nitish Kumar. Chandrababu Naidu had a close relationship with Akhilesh's father, Mulayam Singh Yadav, as they worked together in the United Front in the 1990s. Akhilesh also maintains good relations with JDU chief and Bihar CM Nitish Kumar.

Key to Power

In the 18th Lok Sabha, these two leaders hold the key to power. The BJP has not secured a majority on its own, winning 240 seats. In contrast, the TDP has 16 MPs and the JDU has 12 MPs, both playing crucial roles in securing a majority for the NDA. A media report claims that after the results, Sharad Pawar also tried to contact Nitish Kumar and Naidu.

On Thursday, the day after the India Alliance meeting in Delhi, Mamata's nephew Abhishek Banerjee and Derek O'Brien also met Akhilesh. AAP believes that the India Alliance should consider the option of forming the government. In this regard, AAP leaders Sanjay Singh and Raghav Chadha met with Abhishek Banerjee.

Meetings in Mumbai

After completing their meetings in Delhi, Abhishek Banerjee and O'Brien headed to Mumbai to meet Uddhav Thackeray and his son Aditya Thackeray. However, sources indicate that Akhilesh Yadav believes Naidu and Nitish are not currently ready to switch sides, but emphasizes the need to keep the BJP under constant pressure.