The BJP on Sunday tasked “three strong local leaders” with securing the support of MLAs from the Shiv Sena, NCP and the Congress as well as the smaller parties and Independents to try and garner a majority in Maharashtra, sources said.

They said the party held a meeting of its newly elected members in Mumbai to form a strategy for the upcoming floor test, the date of which is expected to be clear after the Supreme Court hearing on Monday.

The trio picked for what the party is calling “Operation Kamal” are Narayan Rane, Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil and Ganesh Naik, the sources said. Bhupendra Yadav, the party minder for Maharashtra elections, and some other central leaders are camping in Mumbai.

Party leader Devendra Fadnavis had formed the state government on Saturday with the apparent support of the 54-member NCP, as declared by legislature party leader Ajit Pawar, but over 40 among the 54 soon made it clear they were not with Ajit.

By Sunday evening, the NCP was claiming the support of 49 of the 54, heightening the desperation in the BJP camp. The BJP has 105 members in a House of 288 and needs another 40 votes to attain a majority.

While the party publicly exuded confidence about winning the trust vote whenever it is held, in private its members expressed concern.

“It will be difficult for us if most of the NCP members vote against us. We are, however, confident that by the time the vote takes place we will have turned the game around,” a central BJP leader camping in Mumbai said.

Party sources claimed that Sunday’s meeting in Mumbai was attended by not just the party’s own 105 members but also MLAs from the smaller parties and a few Independents, taking the total to 118.

This leaves the BJP needing 27 more votes. The Assembly has another 16 members from the smaller parties and the Independents.

However, at least 36 NCP members have to go along with the BJP for the rebels to avoid disqualification, which currently looks virtually impossible.

The BJP is hoping that since Ajit has the letter of his appointment as leader of the NCP legislature party, his whip would apply to NCP members. Some 41 NCP legislators had, however, axed Ajit as legislature party leader on Saturday and replaced him with Jayant Patil. Sources in the BJP said Ajit would contest this.

All, however, would depend on the new Speaker, and BJP insiders said that getting a “favourable Speaker” was key.

For now, the BJP is focusing on getting Sena and Congress members to “cross-vote” during the floor test. Here is where Rane, Vikhe Patil and Naik come into the picture.

Rane, who had defected from the Sena, has been tasked with sounding out old contacts in his former party. Vikhe Patil had been a Congress politician and the leader of the Opposition for the past five years. He crossed over ahead of the polls.

Naik, the “strongman of Navi Mumbai”, is believed to have a good rapport with politicians across the spectrum. He has been asked to woo legislators from all the parties.