With the Shiv Sena still playing hardball on sharing power in Maharashtra, a Bharatiya Janata Party minister on Wednesday recited the opening lines of a popular Hindi film song to highlight the "strange bond" between the two parties.

Finance minister Sudhir Mungantiwar said the 'Mahayuti' (grand alliance) of BJP, Sena and other parties will form the next government in the state.

"Tere mere beech mein, kaisa hai yeh bandhan anjaana, maine nahi jaana, tune nahi jaana (What kind of strange bond is this between us, I don't know about it, you don't know about it)," Mungantiwar said, reciting the opening lines of a song from the 1981 Hindi romantic tragedy Ek Duuje Ke Liye.

"People across the state have voted for development and progress. We need to understand this mandate given by the people," he said. Come what may, the Mahayuti of BJP, Sena and other parties will form the next government in the state, he added.

The Sena has been unrelenting so far on its demand for rotation of the CM's post between the two allies.

BJP MLAs met to elect Devendra Fadnavis as their leader, a formality before he is sworn in as Chief Minister for the second time.

"There should be no speculation. We had said the government will be formed by the Mahayuti," Fadnavis said after the election. -- PTI