Talks between Shiv Sena and the Democratic Front (DF) of Congress and NCP seem to have run into rough weather at a nascent stage. On Wednesday, the message from the two camps seemed to be at odds with each other, with Sena firm that it wants its CM for a full five years, and the NCP pitching for shared terms of 2.5 years each.

The Congress, meanwhile, is still trying to find an acceptable explanation to justify an alliance with a hard-right party, especially keeping in mind its future national prospects.