A large chunk of the Congress’s legislators in Maharashtra has decided to break ranks and support a Shiv Sena-Nationalist Congress Party coalition if Sonia Gandhi refuses to prop up the prospective non-BJP alternative in the state.

Sources told The Telegraph that at least 36 of the Congress’s 44 MLAs had discussed this option and resolved to vote for a Sena-NCP government if such a coalition staked claim.

(The BJP on Sunday announced it would not form the government, prompting the governor to invite the Sena to stake its claim.)

The Sena has 56 seats and the NCP 54 in the House of 288, which means their prospective coalition will need another 35 votes to reach the majority mark of 145. The BJP has 105 seats — 40 short of majority.

A Congress politician said: “The number (of party MLAs willing to vote for a Sena-NCP government) could reach 40 over the next few days. The entire state leadership is amenable to the idea of keeping the BJP out of power.”

The Congress high command is aware of the “strong sentiments” among the MLAs. The general secretary in charge of Maharashtra, Mallikarjun Kharge, on Sunday travelled to Jaipur to formally seek their views.

To prevent poaching by the BJP, the Congress has quarantined some 35 of its MLAs at a resort in the Rajasthan capital under the watchful eyes of Maharashtra unit president Balasaheb Thorat and former chief minister Prithviraj Chavan. The rest are in Mumbai.

The Sena has stashed its MLAs away at a five-star hotel in Mumbai while the NCP too is keeping a close watch on its flock.

Sources said the majority of the Congress legislators at the Jaipur resort told Thorat bluntly that the party shouldn’t dither at this critical moment. The central leadership too wants to prevent the BJP from returning to power but is in a dilemma over supporting the Sena.

If one reason for the Congress’s caution has been the Sena’s hard-line pro-Hindutva ideology, another has been the lack of clarity about its ties with the BJP, at least till its salvo against the senior partner on Friday night.

But the Congress MLAs’ patience has been wearing thin despite senior leaders indicating that Sonia has authorised NCP boss Sharad Pawar to decide the course of action. The MLAs blame what they see as the high command’s indecision on A.K. Antony and K.C. Venugopal.

A Congress source said: “The MLAs are in constant touch among themselves. They won’t abide by the high command’s decision if the order is to stay aloof. The Congress will get emptied out and the government will be formed.”

He explained the arithmetic: “The NCP and the Sena have 110 MLAs together, and at least 10 from among the 13 Independents and the smaller parties are ready to come on board. With our 30-plus, there can be a stable government.”

Before the BJP announced it wouldn’t stake claim, NCP spokesperson Nawab Malik had said in Mumbai: “We will vote against the BJP in case it comes to a floor test. The NCP will think of an alternative if the Shiv Sena too votes against the BJP on the floor of the House and the government collapses.”

Pawar, who has emerged as the focal point of non-BJP politics in the state, has called a meeting of his party’s newly elected MLAs on Tuesday.